Join us now through October to celebrate 25 years of successful conservation in Utah. Since 1984, the Utah Chapter has worked to preserve nearly 900,000 acres of Utah's critically important lands and waters. In my many years with the Conservancy, I’ve had the good fortune to meet such wonderful and interesting people: civic leaders, philanthropists, biologists, great authors and captains of industry. But none of these notables have inspired me more than our volunteers: the land stewards, board members, guides, and special friends who help with our events, lead tours of our preserves and represent our mission in the community. Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Conservancy and have built our program for these past 25 years.   This is a land of contrasts. Standing above places like Lake Powell, one sees striking evidence that the human race has developed the ability to cause profound changes on the landscape. More subtle, but no less profound, is that from the same point one sees mesas rising above the Lake whose tops remain essentially as they were at the dawn of civilization.       Two moments come to mind when I think about the growth of the Conservancy’s work in Utah. The first is a memory from 20 years ago, driving to Panguitch to purchase 40 acres containing the only known population of the Autumn buttercup. I knew that no one but the Conservancy would try to ensure this flower’s survival. Then I flash forward to last year, when, with support from the Conservancy and others, the Governor created a landmark new council to address the protection of the entire Great Salt Lake—a conservation action at the largest and most meaningful scale.

Today, the Conservancy’s Utah program is supported by a staff of 23 people, over 6,200 engaged members, 37 incredible trustees, and nearly 500 dedicated volunteers. In 1984, things were a bit different. Dave Livermore, a young, idealistic conservationist, was leading the Conservancy’s first forays into both Nevada and Utah. With a pick-up truck for an office, he had a genuine smile, a passion for the West, and not much else. But along the way, Dave found some kindred spirits, won over some skeptics and built a conservation program that has preserved an impressive number of “Last Great Places.” Here’s a glimpse of three Conservancy faces who have been around since the beginning—and seen and done it all in the race to save Utah’s natural wonders.

Dave Livermore - Utah State Director
Joined the Conservancy in 1980

Dave was first based out of the Conservancy’s Western Regional Office in San Francisco covering both Utah and Nevada. In 1986 he opened the Great Basin Field Office in Salt Lake City, which covered both states until 1995. From the Strawberry River to the Lytle Ranch, from the Dugout Ranch to the Great Salt Lake, Dave has led the program in protecting nearly 900,000 acres of public and private land. Under Dave’s direction, the Conservancy has also built constructive partnerships with an array of government agencies, landowners, businesses and other groups statewide. During this same 25-year period, the Utah program has completed four major conservation campaigns raising over $100 million for conservation.

Joel Tuhy - Director of Science
Joined the Conservancy in 1984

Much of Joel’s work for the Conservancy has centered on promoting conservation on Utah’s vast public lands, including nominating important sites for protected status as Research Natural Areas, reviewing and commenting on federal land management plans, and spearheading innovative public-lands planning efforts in southeast Utah. Initially based in Cache Valley, Joel moved south in 1992 and started the Conservancy’s Moab Project Office. A botanist and native plant enthusiast, Joel discovered one of southeast Utah’s rare plants: Tuhy’s breadroot. Joel was also the architect of the conservation plans for the Colorado Plateau and Utah High Plateaus Ecoregions, and he now leads the Conservancy’s statewide science program.

Chris Montague - Director of Conservation Programs
Joined the Conservancy in 1988  

Chris has done a bit of everything in his tenure with the Conservancy, from fundraising and communications to land deals and conservation planning. In his early years, Chris worked on many of the Conservancy’s first land projects in Utah including ranches in the Book Cliffs, preserves for rare species such as the Autumn buttercup, clay phacelia and the desert tortoise, and marquee Conservancy investments such as the Matheson Wetlands Preserve and the Dugout Ranch. Chris also has led the Conservancy’s efforts to protect the Great Salt Lake, from early acquisitions and preserve management to new work on watershed-scale threats. For the last 10 years, Chris has overseen the implementation of the Conservancy’s vision statewide, guiding regional staff in the planning and execution of projects.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): The Great Salt Lake at Sunsent © Gary Crandall.