Jake Schwaller, Eastern Montana Conservation Leader

A 4th generation Montanan, Jake was born in Bozeman, raised in East Helena and now calls Billings home. His father started taking him to elk camp when he was 7 years old, where he learned about public lands and wildlife around a campfire. Over the years, Jake earned the title of “designated elk dragger.” He later turned his love of the outdoors into a master’s in environmental literary theory and a law degree. In graduate school at the University of Idaho, Jake served as an editor for ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature and Environment, and in law school at the University of Montana, Jake served as an editor for the Public Land and Resources Law Review.

Through graduate school, Jake spent seven summers battling thirty-foot tides and sleep deprivation as a commercial salmon fisherman in Bristol Bay, AK. Steeped in the Pebble Mine controversy, Jake learned about the value of joining conservation organizations and making one’s voice heard by policymakers. He joined BHA in 2015 and is excited to now serve on the Montana BHA board as an advocate for Montana’s public lands, waters and wildlife.

Jake loves taking the back roads and discovering new pockets of public lands and waters to explore with his bow, rifle or his fishing rod. When not hunting, fishing or working as an attorney, Jake can be found busy in the kitchen cooking up wild salmon and wild game dishes with new friends and old.

Doug Krings, Central Montana Board Member

Born and raised in central Montana, Doug's travels around the country were enough to convince him that Montana truly is the Last Best Place. He lives in Lewistown with his family, and when he's not chasing elk with his stick bow he works for a structural steel fabricator.

For the last 15 or so years, when not hunting, Doug has volunteered with conservation organizations dedicated to preserving our outdoor heritage and protecting traditional uses. Specifically, his work has focused on public access to great elk habitat in central & eastern Montana. Doug is a former board member of the Traditional Bowhunters of Montana, Montana Bowhunters Association and a handful of FWP Committees. He's also currently on the board of the Lewistown Bowhunters Association and Central Montana Outdoors. Recently, Doug and his daughter, Emma, were featured on The Durfees, a film by Mission: Montana. 

Aaron Agosto, Flathead Valley Board Member

Aaron's journey with American public lands started with exploring the Allegheny National Forest with friends, and he has been enthralled with public lands, and the freedoms and opportunities they provide, ever since. Born in Cape Cod, he grew up fishing and foraging for shellfish with his grandfather and then chasing trout and deer in the wilds of Pennsylvania before moving out west to Montana’s Flathead Valley. He's lived in Bigfork, MT since 2017 and works as a freelance photographer and finish carpenter.

Aaron is a lifetime member of BHA, and when not working behind the lens or on a job site he can be found exploring the rivers by foot or drift boat in search of wild trout, or chasing deer and elk in the mountains in the fall. Aaron lives for wild places and the experiences they provide, and is passionate about ensuring that others are allowed the same opportunities to enjoy them.

Scott Desena, Southwest Montana Board Member

Scott's journey to Montana began on the east coast where he cut his teeth fishing farm ponds in the Hudson Valley, exploring the Adirondacks and skiing the Catskill Mountains. It was the latter that brought him west where he eventually moved in 1993, but it was a combination of mountain biking, backpacking, rock climbing, adult onset hunting and his greatest passion - fly fishing - that kept him here. His greatest catch, however, was a Butte girl who brought him to Montana in 2012. That Butte girl is now his wife and he and Shawna have three beautiful children.

Scott's greatest joys in life are sharing his passions in the outdoors with his family. Whether it’s chasing upland birds with their Brittany, hunting big/small game, backpacking or fly fishing, it's all made possible by public lands and waters, and all seems better with family. When he's not on the river or in the mountains, Scott works as a heavy equipment operator for a contractor in Butte focusing on reclamation in the Butte/Anaconda area.

Chris McCarthy, Gallatin Board Member

Chris grew up on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front, where he learned the value of public land from his father, a Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist based out of Augusta. He has vivid memories of being out on public lands with his father, marveling at the fact that he could just go there to hunt. It took him a while to fully realize that they weren’t trespassing; these were their lands, our lands.

A recent empty-nester, Chris lives with his wife Danielle in Belgrade and is part owner of Outside Media Group, publishers of Outside Bozeman magazine. When not working you will likely find Chris, of course, on public lands and waters where he enjoys hunting, fishing, skiing, trail running, mountain biking and not taking himself too seriously.