Minette Johnson is Defenders’ Northern Rockies Representative based in Missoula, Montana. Minette has worked on wildlife conservation for 16 years, 11 for Defenders. In Montana, her efforts focus on grizzly bear conservation and recovery in the lower 48. Much of her time is spent on paying ranchers compensation when grizzly bears kill livestock and working in partnership with local landowners and state, tribal and federal officials to prevent bear/human conflicts. Minette has also helped restore on swift foxes, black-footed ferrets, buffalo and and prairie dogs to the Great Plains. Her previous jobs have ranged from being a field biologist studying coyotes in Yellowstone National Park to assisting in the creation of the first book published on global marine biodiversity. After growing up in New England and spending several years working in Washington, DC, she headed to Montana due to her fondness for large carnivores. Minette holds a Masters of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana and a Bachelors degree from Connecticut College.