Habitat Conservation
Assistance Network
Proactive Conservation for Working Lands

Matt is the Range and Wildlife Conservationist for Pheasants Forever, Inc. working in partnership with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks, and the Butte and Harding County Conservation Districts. He Grew up on a farm in southeast SD where he developed a passion for the outdoors and wildilfe. He works with landowners to conserve habitat in the sagebrush ecosytem to benefit sage grouse and other wildlife. Matt earned his B.S. in Env. Biology from BHSU and is currently finishing up his M.S. in Wildlife Sciences from SDSU. He has experience working throughout South Dakota in wildlife damage mgmt., fisheries mgmt., wildlife research, and game mgmt.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) teamed up with the Intermountain West Joint Venture and more than 30 partner organizations to expand the field delivery, science, and communications capacity for the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI).

The partnership, known as the SGI Strategic Watershed Action Team (SWAT), was established with the shared vision of achieving wildlife conservation through sustainable ranching. Through SWAT, partner organizations have hired new range conservationists and wildlife biologists, plus a cultural resources specialist, to help get more Farm Bill conservation on the ground.

Located in critical geographic “pinch points” for conservation delivery, these partner positions are based in NRCS field offices and work under the direction of NRCS staff – assisting landowners one-on-one who  voluntarily chose to participate in SGI. Partner positions are employed by conservation districts, state wildlife and agricultural agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.

Contact Matt Gottlob

Listed as:

• Federal And State Agency Landowner Specialists
• Biologists / Ecologists