Sonya Germann Named Montana State Director for The Nature Conservancy

As Montana state director, Germann will lead TNC’s work across Montana—specifically in the Crown of the Continent, High Divide Headwaters and Northern Great Plains—to conserve and restore healthy landscapes, strengthen partnerships, improve wildlife habitat and support thriving local communities.

“Sonya brings a deep understanding that conservation in Montana must be grounded in trust, partnership and local leadership,” said Jan Portman, chair of TNC Montana’s Board of Trustees, TNC global director emeritus and member of TNC's Trustee Council. “Our work is most successful when it is shaped by the people who live and work on the land—from ranchers and landowners to forest products industry and Tribal nations—and Sonya has spent her career building exactly those kinds of relationships.”

Germann brings more than 20 years of highly relevant conservation and natural resource management expertise to TNC. Most recently, she has served as the Bureau of Land Management’s Montana/Dakotas state director, a role she held since 2022. In that role, she oversaw more than 600 staff and eight million acres of federal land and led the launch of three nationally recognized restoration landscapes spanning more than three million acres. This work brought together diverse partners to advance large-scale stewardship that conserved habitat, protected ecosystems and supported local industries, permittees and landowners. She also strengthened relationships with Tribal nations, including establishing a co-stewardship agreement with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Prior to her work with the BLM, Germann served as Montana state forester for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) from 2018 to 2022. In that role, she led the development of Montana’s Forest Action Plan—a statewide, cross-boundary strategy for addressing forest health and wildfire risk—and launched the state’s Good Neighbor Authority program to help accelerate restoration work on federal lands in partnership with local, state and federal partners. She also previously served as Forest Management Bureau chief and forest management planner with DNRC.

Germann holds undergraduate degrees in wildlife biology and liberal studies from the University of Montana and has graduate training in natural resource conflict resolution.

“As a rancher, I’ve seen firsthand how effective conservation happens when it’s driven by the people on the ground,” said Conni French, TNC board member of the Montana Chapter and board president of the Ranchers Stewardship Alliance. “TNC has been a trusted partner in advancing voluntary, locally led efforts like the Matador Ranch grassbank and innovative tools such as virtual fencing. Sonya understands that supporting working lands is essential to conservation, and I’m excited to see that work continue to grow under her leadership.”

The Nature Conservancy conducted a rigorous and comprehensive search to identify its next Montana state director. The organization was delighted to find an exceptional candidate in Germann, who was raised in southwest Montana and has dedicated her career to the stewardship of Montana’s lands and natural resources. By welcoming Germann into this leadership role, TNC Montana’s leadership team and Board of Trustees are reaffirming their commitment to advancing conservation across the state, building on strong momentum and continuing a legacy of impactful conservation successes.

Germann succeeds Interim Montana State Director Chris Bryant, who will continue to serve in a vital leadership capacity at TNC as conservation director.

“I’m honored to work with a team that has built deep trust across Montana,” Germann said. “From supporting rancher-led stewardship on working lands to partnering with Tribal nations, TNC Montana’s work is grounded in respect, collaboration and shared success. Conservation should leave both the land and the community stronger—and that will continue to be our guiding principle moving forward.”

Born and raised on a Montana ranch, Germann brings a lifelong connection to the land and its people. She now lives in Missoula, where she enjoys gardening, hiking to mountain lakes and canoeing on Montana’s rivers.