Who We Are
Our Unique Approach
Montana Freshwater Partners is working to enhance and preserve the vitality and resilience of Montana’s aquatic resources.
Montana Freshwater Partners is uniquely positioned to bring people together and make a lasting impact — we occupy a rare space between traditional nonprofits, governmental organizations, and private interests. Through financial incentives, land trades, and more, we work hard to find paths forward that serve the interests of all stakeholders, while upholding the natural health, integrity, function, and abundance of our aquatic habitats.
Our Story
Montana’s rivers, streams, and wetlands are living threads that connect our ecosystems, communities, and values. Montana Freshwater Partners, formerly known as Montana Aquatic Resource Services (MARS) was founded in 2011 by partners including Trout Unlimited, Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Montana Audubon Society, and the Montana Wetland Council. The goal was to fill a gap in compensatory mitigation options in Montana. At the time, there were very few wetland mitigation banks, and stream mitigation wasn’t required by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), despite the loss of over one-third of the state’s wetlands and many impacts to streams and rivers.
With the support of the Montana Wetland Council and a grant from the U.S. EPA, our organization was established as a nonprofit to run Montana’s In-Lieu Fee (ILF) program. Over time, we have evolved beyond mitigation to take on new, creative conservation initiatives. What began as a mission to establish a statewide stream and wetland mitigation program soon blossomed into something larger—a vision for innovative conservation rooted in science, collaboration, and a deep respect for our land and water.
Since making our first mitigation credit sale in 2014, we’ve expanded our efforts to meet the evolving needs of Montana’s watersheds. Whether it’s pioneering our state’s first channel migration easements or developing new restoration projects through our Give Back to the Yellowstone Program and the Park Co Water Initiative, Montana Freshwater Partners continues to lead efforts to protect and restore Montana’s rivers and wetlands. At the heart of our work is a love for the waters that define this place. These rivers carry more than just water—they carry stories, cultural importance, and the ecological lifeblood of Big Sky Country. We are reminded daily of why this work matters, as we strive to protect what we all cherish: clean, vibrant, and resilient waterways that sustain life in all its forms, now and for generations to come.
Meet the people behind Montana
Freshwater Partners
The hardworking staff members at Montana Freshwater Partners have, collectively, decades of expertise in uniquely relevant backgrounds. Conservationists and restoration practitioners by trade and water lovers by passion, we are all inspired by life on the river: fishing, birding, floating, and enjoying Montana’s diversity of outdoor pursuits. The work we do and success we achieve is only possible thanks to our Board of Directors, Technical Advisory Committee, and the many engaged, supportive partner organizations.
Wendy Weaver
Executive Director
Wendy is a licensed professional civil engineer with over 20 years in land development, water, wastewater infrastructure, water resource design, and aquatic resource conservation. Wendy is a member of the Montana State University (MSU) Civil Engineering Advisory Committee, Director of Four Corners Foundation, Board member of Invasives Species Action Network and serves as a Professional Mentor of MSU Engineers Without Borders, working to bring clean water and sanitation to elementary schools in rural Kenya. She strongly believes in protecting and enhancing Montana’s valuable river and riparian resources, and promoting landscape resiliency, and more often than not– can be found on or near water.
Jeannette Blank
Program Director
Jeannette is a wetland scientist with over 20 years of experience monitoring and restoring wetland ecosystems. Her areas of expertise include terrestrial and aquatic habitat related projects providing impact planning, habitat assessment, restoration/mitigation, and permitting/regulatory support for the energy, transportation, government, and private business sectors. Prior to joining Montana Freshwater Partners, Jeannette was a senior environmental scientist and project manager for many years in the private sector; and most recently was the senior permitting/regulatory specialist for the Energy Research Institute at Montana State University. When she’s not working, you can usually find Jeannette out hiking, skiing, gardening, camping, or spending time on the mighty Yellowstone River.
Leah Swartz
Project Manager
Leah is a freshwater ecologist with a decade of experience working for university, federal, state, and nonprofit employers. Her areas of expertise include monitoring, data analysis, project management, and working with diverse partners. She earned her master’s degree in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana where she researched the ability of created mitigation wetlands to support native amphibian and invertebrate communities. Prior to joining Montana Freshwater Partners, Leah worked as a lab manager for the University of Montana, coordinating a long-term study of stream salamander populations in headwater streams in New Hampshire. In her free time, you can usually find Leah exploring Montana’s public lands on foot, skis, and boats.
Ashton Bunce
Project Manager
Ashton is a freshwater ecologist with fifteen years of work experience researching and restoring stream ecosystems working for state, private, Tribal and nonprofit entities. Her areas of expertise include fish biology, stream ecology, habitat assessment, project management, outreach, environmental compliance and grant writing. She earned her master’s degree in biology at Central Washington University, where her thesis research focused on the habitat use of threatened bull trout. Before joining Montana Freshwater Partners, Ashton worked as a project manager in eastern Washington, restoring aquatic habitat for struggling salmon and trout populations. Outside of work, she enjoys fishing, hiking, hunting, and rafting.
Halle Nienhaus
Project Manager
Halle is a freshwater ecologist with prior experience in the private, government, and non-profit realms. Previous to joining the Montana Freshwater Partners team, she was a consultant working on NEPA-related contracts and fisheries projects with various National Forests and, before that, was with the fisheries crew based out of the U.S. Geological Survey Rocky Mountain Research Station in Bozeman. She received her M.S. in Aquatic Biology from Western Michigan University where she worked worked on projects related to landscape genetics. She is always interested in leveraging technology and cutting edge research to improve conservation and restoration efforts on the ground. In her free time, Halle can most likely be found backcountry skiing, mountain biking, running, spending time on the river, or enjoying live music.
Jennifer Norris
Finance and Operations Assistant
Jennifer has accumulated over 20 years of administrative experience in a career blended in both non and for-profit organizations. She has always felt more at home in the nonprofit sector, though, where she has successfully managed database systems, coordinated events and implemented organizational processes. Jennifer grew up in Montana and believes strongly in working to protect and preserve its natural resources. Outside of work, she enjoys fly fishing, hiking, camping and simply playing outdoors with her daughter as much as possible.
KynsLee Scott
Digital Marketer and Science-Based Communicator
KynsLee joined MARS in early 2021, bringing an arsenal of communication and marketing skills to the team. With over a decade long career as a professional fly fishing guide and business owner, KynsLee has successfully founded a nonprofit for guides, planned many large events and fundraisers, and developed a conservation podcast for Montanans For Healthy Rivers. As a sixth generation Montanan, KynsLee is a passionate conservationist and a well respected figure in the fly fishing industry. She currently shares her time between Montana and Washington State.
camas
Licker In Chief
Named after the Camas wildflower, Camas (Leah’s dog) brings loving energy to the Montana Freshwater Partners office. Her favorite duty is giving you plenty of licks to make sure you’re staying on task.
Delta force
Chief Morale Officer
Delta’s love for the Montana Freshwater Partners team flows as freely as the streams she helps protect (in spirit, of course). As our Chief Morale Officer, she takes her job of lifting spirits and spreading tail wags very seriously. Her favorite duty? Attending weekly staff meetings where she expertly monitors snack consumption and provides much-needed emotional support with a well-timed nuzzle.
Sunny (AKA Sticky Lips)
Chief Office Greeter
Sunny, also known as “Sticky Lips” due to her well-known ability to steal various items from your desk, is unparalleled in her enthusiasm for new office arrivals. Barely one foot into the office and she’ll be up and at it, letting you know how excited she is to see you. Her top skills include chugging bowls of water, dropping chewy bones during meetings, and laying directly on top of your feet.