Gavin Ricklefs

Gavin Ricklefs has spent the last 15 years leading conservation efforts as executive director of the Bitter Root Land Trust, based in Hamilton, Montana. During his tenure, BRLT has become a national leader in Farm Bill policy and implementation and a model of community-supported private land conservation. Gavin holds a bachelor's degree from Whitman College and a law degree from the University of Montana School of Law. He serves on several boards, including as president of the Montana Association of Land Trusts from 2015 through 2021. In 2022, he led a diverse team of stakeholders to renew a $10 million countywide Open Lands Bond Program by a 71% majority in deeply conservative Ravalli County.