Since 2008, Salmon Valley Stewardship has presented the David Krosting Sustainability Award to a recipient who displays a strong commitment to Lemhi County’s triple bottom line: economy, community, and environment.
At the October 20th Harvest Celebration, SVS board chair Kate Stoddard presented Salmon-Challis National Forest Supervisor Chuck Mark with the honor. Mark has led the Salmon-Challis since 2013 and is retiring at the end of this year. During that time, the award review panel noted that Mark’s contributions to the area’s triple bottom line have been significant.
“The Salmon-Challis is one of the largest employers in the county and Chuck led by example as he encouraged employees to give back to the community,” said SVS executive director Maggie Seaberg. “He showed up at many volunteer events, not in a ceremonial role, but to help out and get his hands dirty.”
Seaberg said that Mark’s attention to the many people in the area who make their living from public lands was also noteworthy. “Chuck’s interest in finding common ground with river outfitters, ranchers, miners, loggers, and others during his 10-year tenure on the Forest is really what this award was designed to recognize.” Dave Krosting, the award’s namesake, headed up the Salmon Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management until his untimely death in 2005 and was known for his collaborative management style.
SVS has never given the award to a public land management official, but the group said that the longevity of someone who navigated such a broad range of conservation issues over such a vast amount of land deserves recognition. “We wanted to recognize the importance of public lands to this community and show appreciation for what is an incredibly difficult job. Balancing conservation and the needs of so many different interests is tough but it pays dividends for generations.”
