Pinedale District, Big Sandy Campground
Rich Montgomery has enjoyed being active in the outdoors his entire life, so it was natural that when he went looking for a volunteer opportunity, he thought about public lands. “I wanted to volunteer doing something constructive; outdoor work on the forest appealed to me,” he says. Having already spent time in Colorado and on the Green River in Utah, the Bridger-Teton National Forest seemed like a great location. In any down time he has, Rich plans to go hiking and fly-fishing.
Whatever he’s out doing, Rich says it was instilled in him from a young age to leave a place better than he found it. “A campsite, fishing area, a trail—ever since I was a kid I was taught to leave it better than I found it,” he says. “That’s stewardship.”
Fun Fact: Through his various careers (in heavy industry, heavy lifting, and commercial fishing), Rich has traveled to more than 70 countries, including Venezuela, Lebanon, Peru, and Panama. “More interesting to me than the typical tourist sites were the people,” he says.