About Us

Since 1958, the spirited people of Montana Wilderness Association have worked tirelessly to protect Montana’s wilderness, wildlife habitat, and traditional recreation opportunities. Our members were instrumental in the passage of the 1964 Federal Wilderness Act and in the designation of every Wilderness area in the state. We also helped win Wild and Scenic designations for the Missouri and Flathead rivers, and National Monument status for the Upper Missouri River Breaks. We are currently working in communities statewide to obtain new Wilderness protections. Our campaigns include the Beaverhead Deerlodge Partnership Strategy and the Blackfoot Landscape Stewardship Pilot Project, along with efforts associated with the Sleeping Giant, Rocky Mountain Front, Scotchman Peaks and Winton Weydemeyer areas. Complementing these efforts to gain new protections, our members continue to work daily to ensure state and national agencies appropriately identify and manage all wild lands in Montana. They are experts at Forest Planning and general agency support, building relationships, and helping people enjoy traditional recreation opportunities.

Montana Wilderness Association is the largest grassroots organization in Montana with 5500 members. MWA thrives because its members participate in all aspects of MWA’s activities by leading Wilderness Walks, communicating their personal experiences and values to government officials regarding Forest Planning, drilling, development, etc., leading wilderness education and safety classes, and participating in the leadership of the organization. Our membership is organized into local Chapters in Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena and Kalispell. Our staff works at the local level through Outreach Coordinators in Great Falls and Livingston, and Wilderness Campaign Directors in Choteau, Helena and Kalispell. The main office and other staff are in Helena. A volunteer State Council, elected by the membership, sets strategy and direction for the organization.

Often times we focus only on the tasks yet to be done, always pushing ourselves to work harder to ensure that future generations have wild places to nurture and enjoy. However, it is important to take the time to understand the history of the organization, in terms of its people and their accomplishments. Both are inspiring to both newly minted and ruggedly experience lovers of wild lands. Here is an opportunity to get in touch with the history of the Wilderness movement in Montana and the people who started it. Please take some time to get to know our Wilderness Heroes and to learn about our Accomplishments. The learn about the nuts and bolts of the organization, you can check out our Annual Report. Finally, to make your own mark on this history, please see our Jobs postings.