Rising Stars: Meet Matt Tobler of Fort Collins, Colorado

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Tobler.

Matt, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was raised on a dairy farm in Upstate New York. My father was a forester and we spent our summers traveling out west. I knew early on I was interested in natural sciences so I got a B.S. degree in Resource Managemet and Forestry from SUNY Environmental Science and Forestery. Jobs in natrual resource management in the early 90’s were scarce or impossible to land so I held lots of temporary jobs. I volunteered with the Natural Resource Conservation Service implementing bio-technical practices to prevent erosion and protect water quality in reservoir watersheds, then held a temporary job administering contracts with a Farm Service Agency. All while I was in and out of construction trades (general contracting, carpentry, landscaping) to make ends meet. I eventually found a job announcement for an ‘environmental field technician’ and thought it was perfect, but it turned out to be hazardous materials remediation work — that was an eye opener. Wanting to do something less toxic, I volunteered with the National Park Service and in Arches and got a seasonal paid job at Grand Teton. I later ended up in Cape Cod where I found the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) which was working on the international stage to influence national environmental policy with a broad array of natural and social sciences. I got a volunteer job there which lead to an opportunity to study factors fire and deforestation in the eastern Amazon of Brazil. It was a life changing opportunity and I felt close to the work that could change the world but it was also temorary. My life switched tracks again so in 1998 I deciede to pursue a masters degree in ecosystem science at CSU in Ft. Collins. I thought the move and investment in additional education would put my career ‘on track’ but only found more of the same after graduation. There was temporary work with USFS researching fire ecology, temporary work with USGS researching elk, moose, bison and wild horses, temporary work with CSFS managing forest strwardship programs, temporary work with private industry evaluating recreational carrying capacity, temporary work with numerous consultant groups working on National Environmental Policy Act compliance, and yes, more temporary trade work, this time in erosion and sedimentation control. At this point I was 31, completely broke and without permenant direction or encouragement. There were hundreds upon hundreds of job applications, career counselors, practice interviews, job search engines, soul searching. Everyting seemed impossible so I decided to take a leap – I built an LLC and started writing proposals. In my first project I out competed my former employer, the Colroado State Forest Service, to develop a management plan for a small watershed. Form there, things began to happen slowly — like over the coarse of the next 20 years. I never set out to become self employed. I arrived here by default and discovered that I do have what it takes and that there is a way for me to do the work I was made for. The first two decades were an epic beat down from a financial standpoint but a total inspiration in terms of the work I could do, the people I met, the small team that joined me and the positive impact our work had on the landscape and with our clients.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My path was never a smooth road. At times it was so difficult it took my breath away. I was near bankruptcy twice and once found myself in the emergency room for what I thought was a heart attack. After reviewing my charts the doctor rolled up a chair and asked me about my stress level. My son was 3 or 4 at the time. I was trying to provide daycare while writing a proposal. I wasn’t able to start saving for my retirement until I was 45. I made costly mistakes and had to fix them with the only thing I had, my time and energy. All the while there were very few people who could lend a helping hand or understand the cataclyism that occurred when my sense of purpose colided with an intractable lack of opportunity.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I own and operate Blue Mountain Environmental Consulting, LLC. My team and I provide natrual resource management, conservation planning and environmental compliance services to landowners and managers throughout Colorado and neighboring states.

I’m most proud of our body of the work, the clients we’ve served, the legacy of our work on the ground, my small team of dedicated professionals and our philanthropy, bridging the gap between education and employment for aspiring environmental professionals.

Simply put, passion is what sets us aside from our peers. There are many well qualified people in the world — but the people who live for it, whatever ‘it’ may be, really have something special to offer.

How do you think about luck?
If luck played a role, it was bad luck. I could not find opportunities to do the work I wanted to do. Initially, the barriers made me question myself and my path, but I pushed forward and eventually became more resourceful and resillient. Anybody with good sense would have chosen something else and got on with their life. But I stuck with it, I made it through to the other side and now have something very unique and meaningful.

There was also some good luck. I was raised in a very supportative family who valued natural sciences, the environment, travel and education. They set me on a good trajectory and provided room for me to pursue a life with a little immagination.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bluemountainenvironmental.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067070690138
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bluemountainenviro/

Image Credits
Matt Tobler