Highly regarded by colleagues and clients, Kali Becher is a multi-talented land steward whose dedication to public lands, habitat, and natural resources has been of great benefit to Montana in the last ten years. Her effective use of education and collaboration in her work, especially with private landowners, built multiple partnerships and projects across stakeholder groups and has led to the effective protection and management of critical landscapes.

Born in northern Idaho, Kali found love for open spaces and natural history early in life and brought that love to her work in Montana. She moved to Missoula to pursue a Bachelor’s in the University of Montana’s School of Forestry, followed by a Master’s in Resource Conservation. Her 2012 thesis focused on factors influencing distribution of late succession woody species along the Upper Missouri in central Montana.

Kali joined Missoula County’s Parks, Trails and Open Lands Program as a Natural Resource Specialist from 2013 to 2018. Passionate about private land conservation, she served as a liaison to the Open Lands Citizens Advisory Committee and spearheaded partnerships with local landowners to develop conservation easements on their land. She facilitated the Missoula County Land Steward Award and organized community volunteer work days. She played a vital role in securing and overseeing grant funding and partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service and Trout Unlimited focused on habitat restoration in the Ninemile Watershed that was damaged by historic mining. She did the same for improving fish habitat in Missoula’s Rattlesnake Creek.

In 2018 she joined the Vital Ground Foundation, a land trust dedicated to protecting grizzly bear habitat through landowner partnerships across the Northern Rockies. As their designated land steward, she oversaw multiple conservation easements and fee-title properties. She conducted stewardship projects like biocontrol release along the Kootenai River, and helped facilitate community management in the Alvord Lake Forest in Northwest Montana.

Kali returned to Missoula County Community and Planning Services as its Open Lands Project Manager. She has worked to build partnerships across Missoula, gaining community trust and involvement in maintaining the Valley’s open lands. Most recently, she’s been facilitating remaining funds from the 2018 Open Space Bond, citizen-approved funds dedicated to protecting and managing Missoula’s public and private lands and providing public access to open space. The most recent project accomplished with those funds was Missoula County’s purchase of Marshall Mountain. She is also a Member of the Missoula County Water Quality Advisory Council and Chair of Northside/Westside Neighborhood Leadership Team. She also mentors the next generation of conservationists, providing field project opportunities to students at the University of Montana.

Kali’s position in 2025 is National Wildlife Federation’s Senior Program Manager, Wildlife Conflict Resolution. Her hard work and dedication to protecting our lands and wildlife for generations to come earned her the Missoula Roundtable’s Emerging Conservationist Award.

Biography by Kalle Fox