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WHO
WE ARE

About the Sawtooth Coalition

     On August 22, 1972, Public law 92-400 or the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Act was enacted to designate a portion of the Sawtooth National Forest as the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA) in order to: 

"Assure the preservation and protection of the natural, scenic, pastoral, and fish and wildlife value and to provide for the enhancement of the recreation values associated therewith..." (Public Law 92-400).

 

​     The SNRA is the largest National Recreation Area in the lower 48 (756,000 acres).  It is home to the headwaters of the Salmon River and includes Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds Wilderness, the Sawtooth Wilderness, and the Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness. This land of rivers, mountains, and trees that once was teeming with salmon are the traditional lands of the Shoshone, Bannock, and Northern Paiute peoples-- the original caretakers of this land (sbtribes.com). 

     The Sawtooth Coalition was founded in 2022 with the goal of supporting the US Forest Service fulfill the duties associated with Public Law 92-400. Since then, the Sawtooth Coalition has grown to include particpants from non-profits, government organizations, private landowners, outfitters, and business owners. 

     Anyone living or visiting the SNRA has seen the dramatic increase in visitation and ecological and recreational demands on this beautiful landscape. The Sawtooth Coalition seeks to increase the capacity of others with similar goals by providing structure for collaborative, coordinated action. Better communication between these organizations and individuals is needed. While specific goals may vary, we all have the same desire to protect what we have and to make sure that future generations can experience what we have enjoyed.

     That is who we are, a coalition of organizations and individuals passionate about protecting this landscape we call home. 

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Meet Our Steering Committee

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Paul Ries

Steering Committee Co-Chair

Paul retired from the US Forest Service as an Associate Deputy Chief after 42 years of public service. Paul was the Area Ranger for the Sawtooth National Recreation Area from 1993 to 1999.  He was instrumental in the establishment of the Harriman Trail and the arrangement with Blaine County to manage Galena Lodge.  He worked closely with the late Bethine Church to establish the Sawtooth Society which was envisioned to help protect and preserve the Recreation Area. 

 

Upon retiring, Paul and his wife Linda left Washington DC to move back to Hailey, Idaho. In his retirement, Paul has continued to serve as a leader on a number of Coalitions and Committees in Washington DC, Idaho, and abroad including Co-Chair of the Sustainable Urban Forest Coalition, a Washington, D.C. based coalition, 

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Jim Stark

Steering Committee Co-Chair

Jim grew up in Challis and Stanley, spending winters on the family ranch in Challis and part of every summer in Stanley. He is a retired teacher (Math and Computer Science). He built a cabin on Iron Creek in 1975 and lived there in the summers while teaching in Boise. He has lived in Stanley full time for the last 17 years. He spends his free time skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer.

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Ex Officio, SNRA Area Ranger

Coming soon

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Sarin LoMascolo

Ex Officio, North Zone Partnership Coordinator

Sarin has been the North Zone Partnership Coordinator for the Sawtooth NRA and Ketchum Ranger District since January of 2023. She works with over 20 different partners, FS staff and multiple coalition and collaboratives like the Sawtooth Coalition. Before that she spent 4 years as the SNRA Visitor Services Information Assistant. She has received the Gifford Pinchot Award for Excellence in Interpretation for Region 4 in 2022. Prior to that Sarin was a Park Ranger in Interpretation and Education for the National Park Service for 5 seasons. She started her federal career as an Education Technician at Rocky Mountain National Park after completing both her Bachelors in Elementary Education and Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction in Colorado.

 

Originally from a small rural town in Western Colorado, Sarin has lived in Ketchum, Idaho since 2019. In her free time you will find her enjoying all the recreation the area has to offer.

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Steve Botti

Mayor of Stanley

Steve grew up in Georgia, graduated from the University of Georgia and then worked for the National Park Service for 35 years in Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yosemite, and the Washington Office of Fire and Aviation Management. He retired in 2007. His NPS career focused on natural resources management and planning. He served as Chief of the Natural Resources Management Division in Yosemite.

In 2007 he moved to Stanley with his wife Vicki and served on the Stanley City Council from ten years. In 2015 he initiated the effort to establish the first International Dark Sky Reserve in the United States. Also in 2015, he was recognized by President Obama for his efforts to help designate the Cecil D. Andrus – White Clouds, the Hemingway-Boulders, and the Jim McClure – Jerry Peak Wilderness areas. Since 2018 he has served as Mayor of Stanley, Idaho.

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Kathryn Grohusky

Sawtooth Society Executive Director

Kathryn has been the Executive Director of the Sawtooth Society since September 2019. She fell in love with the SNRA after moving to Hailey, Idaho where she enjoys plenty of oxygen after 25 years of living at 9,200 feet in Frisco, CO. Grohusky brings diverse skills to the role including leadership development, public-private conservation partnerships, natural resources management, not-for-profit business management and development, environmental education, and leadership coaching. Grohusky earned her MS in Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism from Colorado State University and her BS from The Colorado College.

 

She has not only chased a bear, but also raised two children who both love human-powered outdoor sports as much as she and her husband do.  She aspires for a life where her belongings to once again fit in her car.

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Terry Clark

Retired USFS, 34 years

Terry lives in a log house on the banks of the Salmon river in Lower Stanley. He is passionate about sharing his love for the Sawtooth NRA with visitors and locals alike.

In 2010, Terry retired from the U.S. Forest Service after a 34-year career that took him to National Forests in six states. He spent almost half his career here, on the Sawtooth National Forest.

In 1989, when he first laid eyes on the Sawtooth Mountains from Galena summit, he knew he had found his place in space. He has been dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enjoying it ever since.

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Ed Cannady

Retired USFS, 30 years

Ed is a Ketchum, ID-based photographer specializing in mountain sports and landscapes. He is an avid backcountry skier, hiker, backpacker and mountain biker.

Ed worked for USFS for 30 years, many of them spent as a backcountry manager in the SNRA.

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Angenie McCleary

Blaine County Commissioner

Angenie has been serving as Blaine County Commissioner since 2008. She was elected by Blaine County voters in November 2018, 2016, 2012 and 2010, and was originally appointed to the Board of Blaine County Commissions by Governor Otter in July 2008. Her term will expire in 2024.

Angenie has been a resident of the Wood River Valley since 1999. With her Masters in Social Work and background in health and human services with a strong emphasis on work with youth and youth issues, Angenie understands the challenges facing Blaine County families. Her community organizing experience in Blaine County led to Angenie’s desire to serve in public office.

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Lin Gray

SIHA Executive Director

Lin grew up in west central Idaho and first visited the Sawtooths as a child with her father, just like he had with his parents decades earlier. Since January 2020, she has managed the Sawtooth Interpretive & Historical Association (SIHA) and before that she enjoyed four summer seasons working for the Association from 2009 through 2013, and one season as an information specialist for the Stanley Ranger Station. SIHA's mission, to protect and advance the natural and cultural history of Idaho's Sawtooth and Salmon River country through preservation and education, aligns perfectly with the Coalition's mission. Lin is excited to be part of a group working to harness the collective efforts of nonprofits, businesses, and individuals to support the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.

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Mark Davidson

BCRD Executive Director

Mark Davidson is the Executive Director for the Blaine County Recreation District based in Hailey, Idaho. The BCRD provides healthy, active, and diverse recreational opportunities for the communities and visitors to Blaine County.

 

Before his current role he spent 20 years working in conservation for The Nature Conservancy and Trout Unlimited. He has successfully worked to bring people with diverse interests together around several conservation efforts. He has been able to work in a context that is complex both socially and ecologically by working cooperatively with ranchers, farmers, scientists, recreationalists, policy makers, and other partners to find innovative solutions to conservation challenges throughout Idaho.  

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Erin Zell

Sawtooth Coalition Facilitator

Erin joined the Sawtooth Coalition in fall of 2024 as Facilitator. Based in Smiley Creek, Idaho, she supports the Coalition’s work through meeting organization, facilitation, and grant writing. 

Originally from Virginia, Erin has been lucky enough to call Idaho home since 2000. Before working with the Sawtooth Coalition, Erin and her husband spent 17 years operating Galena Lodge. Most days you can find her out enjoying the mountains of Idaho. 

Meet the Full Coalition

Tom Stuart, Idaho Rivers United

Josh Johnson, Idaho Conservation League

Sara Gress, Wood River Trails Coalition

Liz Pederson, Wood River Trails Coalition

Grant Simonds, Middle Fork Outfitters Association

Greg Travelstead, Pulaski Users Group

Doug Fenn, White Otter Outdoor Adventures

Erik Boe, Citizen at Large

Dan Waugh, Idaho Recreation Council

Kathryn Grohusky, Citizen at Large

Paul Ries, Citizen at Large

Jim Stark, Citizen at Large

Terry Clark, Sawtooth Historical and Interpretive Society

Steve Botti, City of Stanley

Mike Hoover, Sawtooth Society

Lin Gray, Sawtooth Historical and Interpretive Society

Mark Davidson, Blaine County Recreation District

Angenie McCleary, Blaine County

Ed Cannady, Citizen at Large​

Erin Zell, Facilitator 

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