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Rob Mason, Executive Director
Rob became our executive director in December 2008, bringing with him a deep passion for wilderness stewardship and protecting wilderness character. Prior to joining the SBFC, Rob served as the wilderness manager for the Sierra National Forest for five years, where he earned the Forest Service’s Bob Marshall Award for Individual Champion of Wilderness Stewardship for his work in the John Muir and Ansel Adams Wildernesses. When not plugging away on the computer for the SBFC or running back and forth between Idaho and Montana, Rob can probably be found tromping around in the backcountry, running in a race somewhere, climbing at the local boulder field or fiddling away in his garden.
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Eric Melson, Programs Director
A former participant in our Wilderness Ranger Internship Program, Eric became the SBFC’s second full-time staff during the fall of 2010. Eric is a graduate of Colorado State University, where he earned a B.S. in Protected Area Management. He brings with him a deep passion for wilderness stewardship, a love of wilderness travel, a strong work ethic and an infectious personality. Eric also leads the Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation’s work bringing the Telluride-based Mountain Film Festival to Idaho and western Montana. On his days off, Eric can be often be found either riding or working on his beloved mountain bike(s).
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Courtney Oyler, Lead Wilderness Steward
Growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Courtney learned to love the outdoors from a young age. She moved to Missoula in 2006, and has since spent a great deal of her time living, working and playing in the surrounding wilderness. Her passion for protecting wilderness was sparked in 2008 when she spent a season working for the Montana Conservation Corps in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. She has spent the last two seasons working on the Moose Creek District of the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. She is grateful and excited to be able to continue doing work that she loves. Courtney attends the University of Montana and will graduate in December with a B.S. in Geography and minors in Nonprofit Administration and Mountain Studies. When away from work and school, Courtney enjoys preparing and sharing elaborate meals, traveling on her road bike and taking long, well-deserved naps.
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Corey Swanson, Wilderness Trails Leader
The SBFC is thrilled to have Corey Swanson join our staff for the first time in 2011. Corey graduated from Ohio University with a B.S. in Recreation. After graduation he moved west to pursue a career in the outfitting industry and worked one season in north central Colorado’s Rawah Wilderness before moving to Kamiah, Idaho, to work for the Flying B Ranch as a backcountry guide and packer. For the past two years he has worked on Forest Service trail crews based in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Corey currently lives with his dog Lucy in Syringa, Idaho where he enjoys hunting, fishing, drinking coffee, and looking out the window.