Cover Photo by Louise Johns
The Gallatin Valley Land Trust is a force of good in southwest Montana. Between creating an interconnected trail system within the town of Bozeman and surrounding mountains, conserving large swaths of open space for wildlife habitat and human health, and helping farmers and ranchers conserve vital agricultural land, the people working for GVLT have their hands full, to say the least.
Justin Barth made some time to answer questions for the Biocene Blog so we could learn more about what he does and why. I love his answers; they are insightful, encouraging, and offer a perspective grounded in gratitude.
Thank you, Justin, for all you do! Montana is lucky to have you.
Q: What issue(s) are you seeking to solve, and in what ways are you working to solve them?
Growth in Southwest Montana has exploded over the past decade, resulting in the rampant development of our open spaces and the crowding and degradation of our trails. The current growth in our community threatens the security of our agricultural heritage, wildlife habitat and access to nature.
Thanks to the support of our community and generous supporters like the Biocene Foundation, GVLT can use our deep land management and transaction expertise, extensive knowledge of trail design and maintenance, and our strong partner relationships to deliver on-the-ground conservation and trail projects. These projects enable us to address the challenges and embrace the opportunities presented by growth.
Q: What do you find most challenging in your work?
The break-neck speed of land conversion from farmland and wildlife habitat to development is just one of the challenges we face. High property values, finite funding, legislative hurdles, a changing climate, and inequality in our community all create hurdles that can slow our progress.
There are endless opportunities for us to pursue at GVLT and many of these are opportunities that can help us protect our open spaces and improve our community trails. But the biggest challenge I find in our work is the difficulty to decisively say “no” to projects that cross our desks without losing sleep over it. With a small but mighty staff, we sometimes need to say “no” to certain enticing projects so that we can say “yes” to other projects that align better with our strategic plan and long-term vision for our community and the environment.
Photo by Louise Johns
Q: What do you find most rewarding?
In a divided world, I find it deeply rewarding to work for an organization that can help unite our community around our shared love for the land and our collective desire to protect it.
Q: What do you wish people knew more about the issue(s) you seek to solve?
There are many new faces in Bozeman and our surrounding towns these days. Like many of us, people are moving here for the tremendous quality of life that our community offers. Our trails, public lands, clean water, abundant wildlife, and incredible recreational opportunities all define our home, and I hope that people take the time to learn that all of these values are the result of hard fought efforts of organizations and individuals that came long before them.
Great communities don’t happen by accident, and it’s taken GVLT and our partners many decades of hard work to build the amenities that make our city such a desirable place to live today. I hope that all that move to Southwest Montana for these values take steps in their personal lives to help preserve these values for future generations.
Photo by Louise Johns
Q: How can people support your work?
Get out and take a hike on a trail in the Main Street to Mountains Trail system and practice good trail etiquette by following the guidelines of the Hike Kind campaign. Take a Sunday drive through Amsterdam-Churchill and look for the GVLT signs on fenceposts that indicate our conservation easements.
These activities will help build your connection with this incredible place that we live in and I hope they will encourage you to give back by volunteering on a trail work outing or making a financial contribution to help us do more.
Q: How do you create joy and hope in your life during the ecological crisis?
During the pandemic, I began to make a point of saying “hi” to every single person I pass on the trails while looking them in the eye. 9 times out of 10 the other recreationalist responds with a hearty hello and a smile, which brings me joy in return. A trail never feels crowded when its users greet one another in passing. If our dogs do it with such gusto, why can’t we?
