Ryan Ghelfi
March 26, 2025
The core of our mission at SBFC is simple: We work on the ground to steward the largest Wilderness in the Lower 48. This is what we’ve done since our inception nearly 20 years ago, and it’s what we will do 20 years from now. We are a no-nonsense, non-advocacy outfit; purpose-built to help people discover and steward one of the most special and important landscapes anywhere in the world.
The nature of the work is time-consuming, arduous, and requires massive amounts of human effort. Keeping trails passable, sustainable, and available for the public requires a special kind of initiative and resolve. Luckily for us, we have 22 individuals slated to join our ranks in April and May. Six crew leaders, two assistant leads, and an anticipated 14 Wilderness Ranger Fellows will comprise the core of our field leadership, decision-making, and muscle across Idaho and Southwest Montana. These people are passionate, hard-working, and dedicated, and they are ready to pull saws, swing pulaskis, and do what it takes to maintain our Wilderness trails and legacy.
We have well over 500 miles of trail maintenance planned for 2025, which helps us keep the promise of Wilderness for the benefit of the American people, today and forever.
Typically, as we enter the summer season of wilderness work, we have federal grants and agreements lined up with each forest in the Selway and the Frank that help pay for our crews. This year, we are approaching the summer season with potential delays on a handful of our agreements. Our team of leaders, fellows, and volunteers are ready to hit the trail in the next few months, but we need your help to make sure we can keep them going all season long.
Our goal is to raise $100,000 by May 31st so that we can keep our staff and fellows on payroll, and so that through their work, we as citizens can follow through on the promise of an enduring Wilderness legacy for generations to come. This week only, a generous donor (and a longtime volunteer in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness) has offered a $5,000 match for all donations toward this goal. If you give between today and March 30, your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling your impact.
We are a small, nimble, and resilient organization. We were formed nearly 20 years ago, I think for this very moment in time, when our skills, effort, and resolve are needed the most.
Thank you for your commitment to our Wilderness, this mission, and to the people who are ready and willing to roll up their sleeves and get the work done out in the Selway and the Frank.