About Us
The Utah Wildlife Federation represents the return of a very special organization to Utah.
Our goal is to bring the many diverse voices of this unique state together to fashion a collaborative spirit in securing the future of wildlife and outdoor recreation, while providing the best practices to steward our natural resources for future generations.
We provide a moderate, independent, nonpartisan, genuinely Utah voice for the hunter, angler, and outdoor enthusiast.
Our approach is to listen with respect…provide factual, non-adversarial information…and foster a collaborative spirit built upon community-driven conservation.
We take pride in partnering with all sorts of groups to create a convening opportunity. The spirit of coming together is central to our mission.
As we move forward, our membership and Board will reflect these values. We will be authentic, transparent, and demographically and geographically diverse.
We respect the broad range of existing organizations that have identified concerns with wildlife and habitat—as well as public land management and economic development—in our nation.
We are convinced the Utah Wildlife Federation offers a fresh opportunity. A “big tent” to bring different views together to identify common interests and build partnerships.
Join us in this new and exciting opportunity. Whether you are a wilderness outfitter, or an infrequent visitor to the public lands of Utah, there is a place for you in the Utah Wildlife Federation.
Join our mailing list, or offer a question about our work with the Utah Wildlife Federation, by contacting us at info@utahwildlifefederation.org
Board of Directors
Bill Christensen
Bill spent, or misspent, his youth on the historic Stewart-Hewlett Ranch in Wasatch County. Starting the first Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) chapter in Utah in 1987, he went on to a 30-year career with RMEF, first as Field Director and retiring as the Utah Regional Director. Some milestones were receiving the Governor’s Award for Critical Land Conservation; Founding member of the Utah Habitat Council and founding member of the Utah Hunting and Fishing Legislative Caucus. He serves on the Board of the Utah Freedom Hunt, a non-profit Veteran’s organization. He currently serves on the Utah Wildlife-Agriculture Committee and volunteers for RMEF and Trout Unlimited. A strong proponent of the North American Wildlife Management Model, he fishes and hunts with his kids and grandkids as much as possible.
Lindsey Davis
Lindsey Davis is an advocate, writer and ecologist based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the Vice President of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recreation trade associations and businesses. In addition to the UWF, she serves on the board of advisors for the Outdoor Alliance, a non-profit that protects public lands and the human-powered recreation experience, as well as the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation advisory committee. Lindsey is passionate about uniting different recreation user groups around issues of access, wildlife management, and habitat protection. In her off time, you can find her working in her backyard garden, wrangling her bird dog, and scouting for hunting season.
Chad Utley
Chad J. Utley is a Utah native who lives in St. George. Chad has been a practicing attorney in St. George since 1996. Chad is an avid fly-fisherman and amateur astronomer. He is a board member and vice-president of the Southern Utah Anglers Association. In addition, Chad currently serves on the Southern Utah Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Chad is currently a Small Claims Judge Pro Tempore and has been appointed by the Utah Supreme Court to serve on the Utah Ethics and Disciplinary Committee for the Utah State Bar, where he served for two terms. Chad is a past president and board member of the Southern Utah Bar Association. He loves spending time with his family, especially if that time is spent fly-fishing with his children and grandchildren.
Austin Green, Vice Chair
Austin Green is a Ph.D candidate at the University of Utah. He studies how human influence affects mammal distribution (where animals are) and behavior (how animals act) in an effort to apply this knowledge to on-the-ground wildlife conservation. Austin currently runs Wasatch Wildlife Watch, a community science project that leverages the power of the Salt Lake Community and remote sensing camera traps. Austin is passionate about teaching and interacting with people, and he firmly believes that the best way to protect the wild lands we all love is to approach it with inclusive community engagement.
Brett Prettyman, Chair
A Utah native, Brett has spent his life enjoying the amazing landscapes and ample wildlife of the state. He has spent his career working to educate the public about wildlife issues, spending 25 years as the outdoors/environment editor at the Salt Lake Tribune, and now as a communications director for Trout Unlimited. Brett is the author of Fishing Utah, among other titles, and collected two Emmy Awards for his work with the Utah Bucket List television program. He has been a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America since 1992 and is a past president of the organization. Brett currently serves as chair of the executive board for Reel Recovery, a national nonprofit providing free fly-fishing retreats for men with cancer. He also serves on the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation advisory committee. Brett lives in Salt Lake with his wife and three children.
Ken Verdoia, Secretary
In his own words, Ken Verdoia is “unconvincingly retired” from a forty-five-year career in journalism and the media. His Emmy Award-winning career in public television carried him throughout the American West, introducing him to the people, places, and issues that shape life in Utah and the region. Somehow, he worked river running, horseback riding, and back country camping into his professional duties. A notoriously bad fly fisherman, his favorite escape is his family cabin down a dirt road that is hard to find..
Our Staff
Isobel Lingenfelter
Wildlife Connectivity Coordinator
Isobel works as the Utah Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Connectivity Coordinator. In this role, Isobel convenes and facilitates a wildlife connectivity working group comprised of representatives from organizations and state agencies, and partners with the Board to help build a foundation for the Utah Wildlife Federation to achieve long-term organizational success.
Isobel graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s in Urban Ecology in 2016 while working for Utah Diné Bikéyah, a Native American land conservation group. She graduated with her Masters in City & Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, and has continued to work for wild and cultural landscapes. Isobel focuses on how to promote the economic, social, and ecological health of places held dear; believing one cannot thrive without the other.
