Defenders of Wildlife Moving Regional Office Out of Montana

Defenders of Wildlife, a nationwide conservation organization, has named a new director for the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains and is moving its regional office out of Bozeman.

Jonathan Proctor is taking over as new Rocky Mountains and Great Plains program director for Defenders of Wildlife, the organization announced. Proctor will be responsible for moving the regional headquarters from Bozeman to Denver, Colo., next month.

Proctor has worked for the organization for eight years, focusing on bison, black-footed ferret, prairie dog, grizzly bear and swift fox conservation efforts. He played a key leadership role in the successful campaign to bring genetically pure Yellowstone bison back to the Great Plains, starting with the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Indian Reservations in Montana. He also directed the incentive programs to help landowners purchase and install fences that help them coexist with grizzly bears across the northern Rockies and with roaming bison near Yellowstone.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Jonathan take on this critical leadership role for Defenders throughout the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. “Jonathan has a long-track record of working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders throughout the region to achieve real conservation outcomes. His dedication and leadership will be vital to the organization as we look to conserve imperiled species and important habitats throughout the intermountain west.”

In October, Proctor will return to Denver, where he worked from 2005-2008, to expand Defenders’ presence throughout the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains, the organization stated. He will manage the organization’s field staff in Montana, Idaho, Washington and Colorado and focus on expanding habitat conservation and restoring imperiled western species.

“This is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of wildlife conservation in the West,” said Proctor. “We are facing significant challenges from climate change and habitat loss, but we also have promising opportunities to restore imperiled western species and habitats. I look forward to building on Defenders’ past success in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains with a strong commitment to collaborative conservation from our new outpost in Denver.”