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Authors:
Craig Grother - Vice Chair/Central West Slope Regional Director
Craig was born and raised in southern California and has lived in the western U.S. his entire life. “My parents took my brother and me camping in the mountains and beaches of California and Mexico,” he says. “My dad took us fishing in the lakes and streams of the Sierras, and fishing in the ocean off the coast of southern California and northern Mexico.”
Grandpa Otto, from Iowa, was Craig’s first hunting mentor. “My grandfather introduced me to pheasant hunting on his farm in Iowa at an early age as well, first as the assistant bird dog, and then as one of the hunters,” he said. “My biggest ocean-fishing mentor has been my nephew, Nick, and I continue to learn more about trout fishing from my buddy John here in Colorado.”
Craig has a BS in Wildlife Biology from Utah State University. He started working with the U.S. Forest Service soon after graduation, which led to a 33-year career as a wildlife biologist on ranger districts in Idaho, Nevada and Colorado. Craig worked the last 20 years of his career for the Norwood and Ouray Ranger Districts of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests in Colorado. He retired in 2009.
Craig joined BHA in 2007 while attending a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation convention in Reno, Nevada, and has served as a Habitat Watch Volunteer (HWV) for the Uncompahgre National Forest since 2009.[1] “I mostly hunt elk and deer on public lands, as well as turkey and grouse,” Craig adds. “I also fish for trout in Colorado and Idaho, and make the trip to Southeast Alaska to fish for salmon and halibut with my nephew off the Prince of Whales Island. I am fortunate to have a son-in-law from western Kansas and my chocolate lab, Ozzie, and I get to hunt pheasant on their farm around the Thanksgiving holiday.”
During 2013, Craig received one of BHA’s highest national awards, the Aldo Leopold Award, which recognizes significant contributions made towards preserving wildlife habitat.[2] During 2015, Craig was recognized as BHA’s Volunteer of the Month (for January), and was appointed by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to serve on the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Advisory Council. He has been Colorado BHA’s Central West Slope Regional Director since January 2016.[3]
“I spend time giving back to the conservation of our fish and wildlife resources by teaching hunter education and as an active member of BHA,” Craig says. “Through BHA, I currently serve as the sportsman’s representative on the Colorado Forest Health Advisory Council and Adaptive Management Group for the Spruce Beetle Epidemic and Aspen Decline Management Response program on the GMUG National Forest.” Craig and his wife, Sheila, live in Norwood, Colorado.
[1] For additional information on Colorado BHA’s Habitat Watch Volunteer program see: http://www.backcountryhunters.org/index.php/state-chapters/colorado-bha/habitat-watchmen
[2] For additional information see: “Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Recognize Two Conservationists.” Fly Rod and Reel.com: 3/25/13. http://www.flyrodreel.com/blogs/tedwilliams/2013/march/backcountry-cnoservationists; “BHA’s Craig Grother & David Petersen Recognized For Protecting Backcountry Habitat.” AmmoLand.com: 3/25/13. http://www.ammoland.com/2013/03/bhas-craig-grother-david-petersen-recognized-for-protecting-backcountry-habitat/#axzz2OZN0hH00
[3] “Colorado Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Appoint Central West Slope Regional Director.” AmmoLand.com: 1/26/16. http://www.ammoland.com/2016/01/colorado-backcountry-hunters-anglers-appoint-regional-director/
Dave Armlovich
Dave is a retired from the U.S. Forest Service as a forester with 35 years of experience. From 1989 to 1991 he attended Oregon State University and obtained a master’s degree in forest engineering. It was there that he realized the up-and-coming technology called geographic information systems would be integral to resource management. In 1998 he started working full time as a GIS specialist on the Shoshone NF in Wyoming. In 2002 he moved to Delta Colorado to serve as the geographic information systems (GIS) manager on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahge and Gunnison National Forest (GMUG). During his 11 years on the GMUG he was responsible for the creation and mapping of resource data as well as the analysis of geographic and biologic data for numerous projects including forest planning efforts.