We are concerned residents of North Idaho, Western Montana, and Eastern Washington. We believe that the 88,000-acre Scotchman Peaks roadless area deserves permanent protection as wilderness. Faced with rapid growth and change, we want to make sure that this special place stays the same, not only for us but for the benefit of future generations. It is our aim to preserve one of the last and largest wild areas in our region.
We need your help! If you wish to join our cause or provide support, please click to the You Can Help page.
Below the biographies of our Board of Directors, additional staff, and key volunteers, you’ll find our Non-Discrimination Policy.
Board of Directors
Phil HoughChair & Executive Director – responsible for overall direction and coordination of the group.
Phil graduated from Colby College in 1981 with a BA in English Literature. After 20+ years in Hotel/Hospitality management, organizing and directing staff, assisting with sales and marketing and coordinating events and conventions, Phil moved to Sagle, Idaho in 2002.
He is a past president of the American Long Distance Hikers West Assoc (ALDHA-WEST), a past president of the Kinnikinnick Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society, and the former chair of the Bonner County Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force. His love of the wilderness has led him to thru-hike the entire Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest trail (twice) as well as to paddle the length of the Yukon river, among many other shorter trips to most of the corners of our continent. During the summer months Phil leads back-country trips for the Galena Ridge School for troubled teens.
In May 2007 Phil was awarded the Idaho Conservation League’s highest award for environmental activism for his work on the proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Area, and in May 2009 he received the Brass Lantern Award from the Montana Wilderness Association for his outstanding leadership of the Friends Of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness.
Phil is shown here with his better half and hiking partner, Deb Hunsicker.
Contact: (208) 946-9127 or Phil@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Doug FerrellVice Chair and Montana Outreach Director
Doug graduated from Brown University in 1972, and moved to Montana soon after. He is a home designer, happily married with two sons, who also love to hike and camp.
He is currently President-elect of the Montana Wilderness Association, and also serves on the board of the Council of the MWA.
Doug has been working to protect roadless areas on the Kootenai National Forest for over 30 years.
Contact: (406) 827-4341 or Doug@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Jacob StyerTreasurer – responsible for managing and reporting the financial aspects of FSPW.
Jacob graduated from Idaho State University in 2002 with a double major in Accounting and Finance. After completing his CPA requirements in 2003 he moved to Sandpoint where he still works in Coldwater Creek’s tax department. Jacob has lived in Idaho since 1990 and loves calling it home. He takes advantage of the outdoors mostly in the form of hiking, biking, and climbing but hasn’t really found anything not to enjoy yet.
He also currently helps out other local Non-profit organizations such as the Panhandle Animal Shelter, Sandpoint Bike to Work Week, and the Bonner County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue.
Contact: (828) 989-8095 or Jacob@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Carol JenkinsVice-Chair, Idaho Director, and Grant Writer
Carol has a BS and MS in nursing, and is retired from a 24 year career including nursing education and administration. She is President of the Kinnikinnick Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society and is past chair of its conservation committee.
In September 2009 Tri-State Water Quality Council selected Carol for the "Watershed Warrior" award for her work on behalf of water resources in northern Idaho.
"After a full career and supporting my husband and daughter through graduate programs in the environmental sciences, climbing Scotchman Peak was a highlight and milestone in my life, as those who were with me can testify!"
Contact: (208) 265-9204 or Carol@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Neil WimberleyHope/Clark Fork Outreach Director
Neil was born in Alabama in 1947. He graduated from medical school in 1973, and practiced pulmonary medicine for 25 years on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama.
In addition to FSPW, he enjoys hiking and serves on the Conservation Committee of the Kinnikinnick Chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society, as well as the board of the Sandpoint Chapter of the Ice Age Institute, and the Advisory Board of Bonner General Hospital.
Contact: (208) 264-5379 or Neil@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Bill MartinFounding Committee Member
Active in conservation issues for over 30 years, Bill Martin was one of the founders of the Cabinet Resource Group at its inception in 1976. He currently serves as president of that organization. Bill worked close to the land as a forestry contractor. And he has hunted and hiked in the Scotchmans for 3 decades. Bill is self sufficient, living completely “off the “grid” just outside of Troy Montana.
Contact: (406) 295-5258
Charlie CloughBoard Member
Charlie Clough is a third generation native of Libby, Montana. He was born in 1943, graduated from Libby High School in 1961, and took a BA in Education at the University of Montana in 1973.
He has been active in land management issues, serving as the president of the Libby Rod and Gun Club during the successful campaigns to stop dam construction at Kootenai Falls and Osprey Landing, and during the contentious times of the Kootenai-Lolo Accord.
Retired from teaching in 1998, he has worked for 23 seasons as a wilderness ranger, logging over 7000 miles on trails in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness.
He and his life partner, Ann Brownback, enjoy hiking in the mountains and kayaking on the streams and lakes of western Montana and the Kootenay region of British Columbia.
One of their greatest pleasures has been making music, he on the stand-up bass and she on the hammered dulcimer.
Contact: (406) 293-5210 or Charlie@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Sarah LundstrumSecretary
Sarah graduated from Utah State University in 2003 with a BS in Environmental Studies and minors in Public Policy and Philosophy. She spent three years working for the Sierra Club in New Mexico, on both public land campaigns and elections, before taking a job with the Montana Wilderness Association in Kalispell MT. Sarah grew up in Spokane, WA and spent a lot of time camping and hiking in Northern Idaho. She currently lives in Whitefish MT with her two dogs, plays ultimate Frisbee, does all the outdoor activities possible and also serves on the board of the Whitefish Animal Group and the Montana Conservation Voters
Sarah is shown with her faithful hiking companion, Paige.
Contact: (406) 755-6304 or Sarah@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Will Valentine
Friends List Coordinator
On retiring from the energy industry in 2004, Will moved to Idaho from Qatar.
Concluding that “conservation” fitted his personality, he joined FSPW.
In addition he volunteers at the Bonner County Historical Society three days a week and is a volunteer fireman.
Contact: (208) 255-1114 or Will@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Additional Staff and Key Volunteers
Sandy Compton, Program Coordinator
Mitchell “Sandy” Compton’s maternal grandparents settled in Montana’s Clark Fork valley near the Idaho border and just southeast Scotchman Peak in 1917. He resides on a part of their old farm still.
Sandy is a writer, editor and print designer who has published four books and hundreds of essays, columns, magazine articles and photos, most having to do with exploring, travel, adventure and the out-of-doors. He has helped the Friends of Scotchman peaks produce collateral materials including booklets, tabloids and maps. As owner of Blue Creek Press, he assists others in moving from conception to reality with writing, editing, design and printing expertise.
Sandy attended elementary school in Heron and graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1969. The Blue Creek Press office is in the room in which he learned to read in the old Heron Elementary School.
He has been hiking in the Scotchman Peaks since he was old enough to walk without parental assistance into the upper East Fork of Blue Creek.
Contact: (208) 290-1281 or Sandy@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Ann WimberleyEditor of Peak Experience, the newsletter for FSPW.
Ann moved to Hope, Idaho in 2003, after retiring from the practice of internal medicine in Mobile, Al. An Idaho Master Gardener, she is also active in the Kinninnick chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society and the Sandpoint chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute. She enjoys hiking and snowshoeing, especially in the Cabinet Mountains behind her home.
Contact: (208) 264-5379 or Ann@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Jim MellenMerchandise Manager
Jim was born in Washington DC in 1948 and raised in Northern Virginia. After attending college for four years (business admin/economics) and four years in the Air Force (electronics), he moved to Sandpoint in 1975. He has worked for Encoder Products Co since 1978 as an electronics technician, applications engineer, quality assurance manager and manufacturing engineer. He and his wife Sandii spend as much time as possible hiking, backpacking, skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding and snapping pictures in the mountains.
Contact: (208) 265-5261 or Jim@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Trisha MillerWebmaster
Trisha has been deeply involved in technology for the past 25 years, primarily in the Telecommunications and Travel industries. She discovered Web Development and Graphic Design in early 2003 and now works primarily as a Webmaster for over 40 different websites. In her spare time she blogs on travel and technology issues.
Trisha volunteers her time to maintain the website for the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness.
Contact: (408) 227-8261 or Trisha@ScotchmanPeaks.org
Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness
Non-Discrimination Policy:
The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness believes that equal opportunity is important for the continuing success of our organization and that organizational performance is greatly enhanced when people with different backgrounds and perspectives are engaged in the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness activities and decision-making. The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness intends to comply fully with all state, federal, county and municipal laws as interpreted and applied by the courts which preclude negative discrimination because of race, disability, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, military status, or any other protected classification. The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness defines "negative discrimination" to include, though not necessarily limited to, the denial of services, employment or volunteer opportunities to any class of individuals in a manner that negatively restricts opportunities to that class of individuals. This policy applies to all activities of the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness including, but not limited to, employment, selection of volunteers, grant making, purchasing and selection of vendors or consultants.
