A Note from Brendan: Reflecting on 12 Years with GVLT
Brendan Weiner shaking hands with Sherwin Leep, a GVLT easement landowner.
After more than a decade of dedicated service, our friend and colleague Brendan Weiner will be embarking on a new chapter. Brendan has accepted the position of Montana State Director for The Conservation Fund, where he will continue advancing conservation across our state. Below, Brendan shares a personal reflection on his time at GVLT and the incredible journey we’ve shared together.
From GVLT Conservation Director Brendan Weiner
It’s hard to believe it’s been more than 12 years since I enthusiastically showed up for my first day at GVLT. Back then, we were still in the old office on North Willson, and hiring me as the sixth employee was a real leap of faith for the organization.
It was 2013—the Great Recession was finally fading, the real estate market was still flat, and you could buy a house in Bozeman for under $300,000. My first assignment on the job was to comb through the handwritten files my predecessors had diligently compiled over the years to see if there were any promising leads for new conservation projects.
At the time, GVLT had just one active lands project, and the pipeline had run dry after several years of declining property values. After a few weeks of reading through old files, I nervously mailed six letters to landowners asking if they wanted to discuss conservation options for their properties. Three responded, and one of those conversations became an incredible conservation easement project on the Madison River near Headwaters State Park. After that, I was hooked.
Since then, I’ve spent countless hours drinking coffee at kitchen tables and navigating backroads from Churchill to Chestnut and Three Forks to Hebgen. I’ve signed more than a few agreements on the hood of a pickup truck and have befriended old-timers and newcomers alike. During my job interview, I told the hiring team that this was my dream job, and that feels even more true today.
From that first project until now, GVLT has completed 46 conservation easements protecting over 32,000 acres, along with four land acquisitions for parks, trails, and wildlife. The pipeline is full again, with 15+ active projects totaling another 25,000 acres. Our land protection staff has grown from half a person (me!—I was also helping with trail projects when I started) to a passionate, professional team of five, and GVLT as a whole has grown from six to 18. GVLT was a leader in land conservation when I started, and that continues to be the case—both in Montana and across the nation.
None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of this community. Your shared love of open lands and trails has made everything we’ve accomplished together possible.
After 12 wonderful years with GVLT, I’ve accepted a new opportunity to serve as the Montana State Director for The Conservation Fund. This new role will allow me to keep doing what I love most—advancing meaningful conservation efforts across Montana. I’ll still be based here in Bozeman and working alongside many of you who care so deeply about this landscape and community.
While I’m excited for what’s ahead, leaving GVLT is definitely bittersweet. I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together and will always treasure the friendships, collaborations, and moments in the field with landowners and partners.
I’ll be with GVLT through November 14 to help with a smooth transition of projects and relationships. I have complete confidence in the incredibly capable and passionate team that will continue carrying this mission forward.
Thank you all for your support, partnership, and shared commitment to conservation across Montana. It has been a tremendous honor to work with and learn from this remarkable community. I look forward to continuing our collaboration in this new chapter.
With gratitude,
Brendan
Messages of Appreciation
“I can't thank Brendan enough for all that he did for our family and our ranch. Working with Brendan on our conservation easement was wonderful. It's a big decision for a ranch, and Brendan made the whole process go so smoothly. The legacy he's leaving behind at GVLT is incredible—thousands and thousands of acres of permanently protected land. He's done so much for the Gallatin Valley and the State of Montana. I'm super grateful for all of Brendan's work, and I'm even more grateful for his friendship. Thank you, Brendan!”
-Matt Skoglund, North Bridger Bison Owner and conservation easement holder
“Brendan's 12 years at GVLT were marked by thoughtful, deliberate leadership, empathy, and passion. His legacy is defined not only by the land he helped conserve, but by the consensus-building spirit he instilled into the work, which will continue to strengthen GVLT long into the future.”
-Kelly Pohl, Headwaters Economics Associate Director and former GVLT Associate Director
Brendan by the Numbers
It’s hard to quantify Brendan’s impact on land conservation in southwest Montana. The following numbers only give a glimpse at Brendan’s legacy of conserving working farms and ranches, critical wildlife habitat, and scenic open space that will benefit generations to come.
From 2013-2025:
46 land conservation projects
32,450 acres conserved
4 land acquisitions for parks, trails, and wildlife
$13,055,428 of Gallatin County Open Lands Program funding secured
$24,176,720 of federal funding secured
$29,125,963 in property value donated by conservation easement landowners