Roby volunteering on a fence removal project with Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation and Jackson Hole Land Trust. Photo by Shivyon Mitchell.
Roby Hurley joined Teton Conservation District’s board in 2019 and was elected as board chair in December 2022. As the urban representative on the board, Roby brings decades of experience in municipal planning and natural resource management. His background in local and state government, wildlife conservation, agriculture, water quality, and watershed best practices are invaluable to Teton Conservation District. Want to get to know Roby? Read on…
How did you become interested in conservation?
It all started from farm life, direction from my parents, and Boy Scouts. While my work in planning and growth management has been largely urban-related, I grew up on rural farms. Part of my childhood was on a dairy farm. We had sheep, chickens, cows, a horse, and a pony. My affinity for the water began with the spring creek running through our farm, where I learned to trap muskrats as a kid. I also grew up fly fishing on the iconic central Pennsylvania limestone streams.
Roby pushing snow with his 1953 Ford Golden Jubilee tractor.
While I love learning, soccer and the natural world were always more important to me than school. I made the Virginia All-Star Team twice and was team captain my senior year. After graduating from Roanoke College with a degree in business and economics, I spent some time traveling and then started a career in sales and marketing. Although I was successful, it was not in my heart. My love for the water and nature drew me back to conservation and I went back to school for education in wetland protection, water quality management, and forest management.
How did your career in conservation lead you to Jackson?
Around the time I finished advanced education, the State of Maryland was starting to regulate water quality and wildlife habitat through the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Act (CBCA). I got in on the ground floor of that legislation and started my own consulting business. One of my clients was the Maryland Department of Planning. I assisted small waterfront towns with local CBCA regulation implementation. Eventually I accepted an offer I could not refuse and went to work for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for 25 years. Over those years, I assisted more than 20 towns and five counties with local planning, growth management, and natural resources regulations. I reviewed development plans ranging from small residential projects to a destination resort and a natural gas exporting port. After retiring from the DNR, I started up my consulting business again but was presented with another offer I couldn't refuse—working for Teton County Planning and Building. I worked as a Principal Planner for Teton County before retiring in 2019.
Why do you like being on the Teton Conservation District Board?
What impresses me most about TCD is their common-sense natural resource and land use approach and programs, coupled with their pragmatic outreach and funding efforts. The six program areas—Water, Land, Vegetation, Wildlife, GIS, and Sustainability—are very meaningful to me, each of which I strive to support through my role on the board. I continue to be impressed by TCD Staff and the people, government, and nonprofits geared toward natural resources protection in Jackson Hole.
What’s on the horizon for Teton Conservation District? What are your priorities for the next few years?
While I feel that TCD is in a good place right now, there are always opportunities to improve and address emerging issues while being mindful of fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers. Certainly, water quality issues are at the forefront now. I see TCD working hard to reverse our impaired waterbodies, return safe drinking water to Hoback, and streamline sewer hook processes. Addressing human wildlife interaction and conflicts should also be a priority, especially with increasing traffic on the roads and in the backcountry. We have a strong groundswell of small local agriculture operations advancing, so I would like to see that continue, as well as supporting improvements to our ranching community.
Generally, I feel it is more important than ever to support local government by taking a leadership role on issues that the Town and County are unable to address due to staffing and financial constraints. And finally, I believe in making a plan and sticking with it, so I support the TCD 2020-2025 Strategic and Long-range Plan, which can be found at www.tetonconservation.org/about.
What are your favorite pastimes?
Hiking, reading history, home improvement, gardening and of course fishing are my favorite pastimes. I used to sail, logging nautical miles on the great lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and the Southeast coast, but I traded in the sailboat for waders and a drift boat. Water-oriented recreation is my lifeblood. But doing any of those activities is best when accompanied by my wife, Nancy.
In addition to volunteering my time on the Teton Conservation District board, I also volunteer for Trout Unlimited and the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation. I also donate a three-day fly-fishing course to the Animal Adoption Center auction every year. While I really enjoy my volunteer work, I like fishing more!