Speaker: Rachel Schmidt, American Rivers
Topic: “Generations of Wild and Scenic Rivers”

Kick off the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act with a talk by American Rivers’ Northern Rockies Dam Removal Specialist Rachel Schmidt, discussing the history and significance of some of our favorite Wild & Scenic river systems.

Rachel is a Montana born river rat residing in Whitefish. She has a long career in outdoor recreation industries including experiential recreation in the ski, raft and fly fish categories; sales, marketing and product development with one of the world’s largest firearms manufactures; and development and leadership in public lands, hunting and fishing conservation. She had the honor of serving the people of Montana by creating and directing the Montana Governor’s Office of Outdoor Recreation through the Bullock administration.

Rachel currently works with broad stakeholders, government agencies and Tribal Nations to expand river restoration efforts in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. When not recreating outdoors, Rachel spends a great deal of her time volunteering for the boards of conservation and recreation organizations as well as teaching hunters’ education and championing the future of hunting in Montana.