Program Manager Carlie Ideker grew up on public lands in and around Dubois. “My family spent our weekends outside, usually in the Shoshone or Bridger-Teton National Forests, whether we were hunting, backpacking, snowmobiling, horseback riding, or skiing,” she says. “I developed a deep love for these places and a responsibility to take care of them early in my life—a sentiment that I think is true for many Wyomingites.”
While Carlie’s family still lives in Dubois, she and her husband, along with their two dogs, have called Star Valley home since 2020. With the BTNF’s Greys River District out their front door, the couple enjoys doing “anything that gets us outside,” Carlie says.
Before joining FBT, Carlie, who has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in anthropology and cultural resources management, worked seasonally for the Shoshone National Forest (in the rec department) and for the Jackson Hole Land Trust, Wyoming Wilderness Association, and Wyoming Outdoor Council. A thread through Carlie’s professional life has been to build relationships—between communities, agencies, rights- and stakeholders, and people—based on a shared connection to place. “To me, effective programs are relationship-building and a way to bring people together in support of the lands, waterways, wildlife, and heritage of the BTNF,” she says.
On Recreating Responsibly
“I always pick up trash when we’re out—even collecting micro-pieces makes a difference. We also follow fire restrictions and, when we do have a campfire, we have a shovel and several gallons of water to put it dead-out before we leave the area. Responsible recreation also means being respectful—of the land, wildlife, and other users, too. These have been cherished lands and waterways since time immemorial and it is our collective responsibility to continue stewarding them for future generations.”