Dave Werntz

Dave Werntz leads our Forest Field Program with a focus on national forests and forest collaboration. He also manages numerous other conservation initiatives, including Fisher Reintroduction, Canada lynx and wolverine recovery work, and representation on the state’s Wildlife Diversity Advisory Council and Washington Prescribed Fire Council.

Dave is a forest ecologist and field biologist long involved in Pacific Northwest conservation efforts. He received an M.S. in Forest Ecology and Conservation Biology from University of Washington and a B.A. in Biology and Environmental Studies from Grinnell College in Iowa. Originally from the Great Lakes region, Dave found home in the vast biologically diverse landscapes of the West. Before joining Conservation Northwest, Dave supported research on waterfowl in Alaska, northern spotted owls in the Cascades, old-growth forests in the Olympics and eastern Oregon, and large wood in the Queets Rainforest. Dave lives in Twisp with his wife, daughter, a dog, a cat, two rabbits, and seven chickens (and a hamster on the way).