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 SBF, 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 SBF or running back and forth between Idaho and Montana, Rob can probably be found tromping around in the backcountry, climbing at the local crag or fiddling away in his garden.

rmason@selwaybitterroot.org

Eric Melson, Lead Wilderness Steward
Eric joins our staff for the first time during the 2010 field season, after interning with the Selway-Bitterroot Foundation during 2009 as part of our Wilderness Ranger Internship Program. Eric is a recent 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 Foundation's work bringing the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival to western Montana and northern Idaho. On his days off, Eric can be often be found either riding or working on his beloved mountain bike(s).

emelson@selwaybitterroot.org

Rachel Kaufman, Lead Wilderness Steward
Rachel is excited to join our staff for the first time during the 2010 field season. She is a native Montanan and has grown up recreating in the state's beautiful wilderness. She has previously worked as a wilderness ranger in Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness and on wilderness trail crews in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and the Chugach National Forest in Alaska. Rachel graduated from the University of Montana with a BS in Natural Resource Conservation and enjoys teaching conservation education both on the trail and in the classroom. Her lively personality and enthusiasm for wilderness stewardship compliment Rachel's strong wilderness background to make her an effective and engaging wilderness leader. She is thankful for this opportunity to give back to the wild places that she loves and respects so much.

rkaufman@selwaybitterroot.org