Gavin Ricklefs, Managing Director
Gavin Ricklefs joined Heart of the Rockies Initiative as managing director in 2024, following 17 years as executive director at Bitter Root Land Trust in Hamilton, Montana. During his tenure, Bitter Root Land Trust became a national leader in Farm Bill policy and implementation and a model of community-supported private land conservation. In 2022, Gavin led a diverse team of stakeholders to renew a $10 million countywide Open Lands Bond Program by a 71% majority. Gavin holds a BA from Whitman College and a JD from the University of Montana School of Law. He has served on several boards, including as President of the Montana Association of Land Trusts from 2015 through 2021. A passion for cooperative, landowner-driven approaches to conservation and a deep appreciation for connecting with community members over a shared love of the Rocky Mountains have been the forces driving Gavin’s conservation career. When not at work, Gavin enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids — hiking, fishing, and skiing in Western Montana’s mountains.
What led you to choose a career in conservation?
I grew up near Puget Sound in Washington state, in the shadow of the Cascades, and spending time outside in inspiring places has been an essential part of my life for as long as I can remember.
When I was in college, I spent time in New Zealand and noted how different the Kiwi approach to land use was from what I had observed in the U.S. — community focused, collaborative, and voluntary, versus adversarial – which stayed with me. After earning my undergrad degree, I followed my interest in land use and conservation, moving to Montana and attending law school with a focus on conservation law.
After practicing law briefly, I transitioned to a role working for Bitter Root Land Trust, where I remained for 17 years before joining Heart of the Rockies Initiative as managing director in 2024. Throughout my career in conservation, my experiences have reinforced my belief that conservation is more durable when decisions are made at the grassroots, voluntary level, which has led me to dedicating my professional life to this approach to conservation in this iconic landscape.
What inspires you in your daily work at Heart of the Rockies Initiative?
I’m inspired by all of the private landowners who have a vision for their land and a stewardship ethic that extends beyond their ownership. I’m also continually motivated by the dedicated professionalism and dedication of our land trust members and partners, who are working so hard on behalf of landowners, communities, wildlife, and the future of this unique and special region. I am fortunate to work with an incredible staff and board at Heart of the Rockies, focused every day to increase the pace and impact of conservation in the Transboundary Rockies.
The urgency of the challenges the region faces as development pressure threatens the integrity of the landscape motivates me but what ultimately inspires me is that voluntary, grassroots, landowner-led conservation is a shared value that transcends political, social, socio-economic, and cultural divides. Now, more than ever, this work is good for us to engage in as citizens and the legacy we leave together on the land is collaborative, lasting, and brings us closer together.
When you’re not working, how do you engage with the people, lands, or wildlife of the transboundary Rocky Mountains?
Montana is my home, and I spend a lot of time in the wider Heart of the Rockies region, as well, engaging with people and communities as a parent, a community member, and a conservation professional. Time on a river with a fly rod in my hand or on skis in the mountains are a couple of my favorite ways to enjoy the landscape.
