You’re Invited to a Climate, Courts, and Clean Environment in Action Town Hall: Montana Environmental Advocacy Series

Chrissy Pepino is a communications specialist, nature enthusiast, and life-long learner. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Chrissy has perfected her techniques of data collection, research analysis, and analytical writing skills. She is an AmeriCorps alum, where she served in Colorado under the Southwest Conservation Corps. Chrissy completed her Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco and earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology at Chapman University. She has worked for Earthjustice for nearly 10 years and resides in Bozeman, Montana. As a mother, Chrissy has vowed to double down on mission-critical work to fight for a livable and healthy planet for not only her daughter but for the communities who are suffering right now. Chrissy believes there’s no better time than the present to make meaningful change.

Claire Vlases, a 21-year-old from Bozeman, Montana, is this year’s TIME Magazine Earth Awardee and a 2023 Outsider of the Year for her work as a plaintiff in the youth-led climate lawsuit, Held v. State of Montana. Claire has been taking action to address the climate crisis since middle school, when she raised $120,000 to install solar panels on her public school. In high school, she was appointed by the mayor of Bozeman to plan sustainability initiatives for the city. After years of watching declining snowpack and drought conditions in Montana—and experiencing their cascading impacts on her work as a ski instructor and her family, who rely on Bozeman Creek as the primary water source for crops and livestock, Claire brought her advocacy efforts to the courtroom in the famous Held v. State of Montana case. In August 2023, District Court Judge Kathy Seeley ruled wholly in favor of the 16 youth plaintiffs, and declared the State of Montana’s laws that require the State to turn a blind eye to young people’s climate injuries while promoting fossil fuel activities a violation of their constitutional rights to a clean and healthful environment. It was a historic win and received international attention. The case is currently pending before the Montana Supreme Court following the State's appeal. Claire is now a senior in college, studying Computer Science and Ethics at Claremont McKenna College.

Conrad Anker is a world-renowned rock climber, mountaineer, and author. He was the team leader of The North Face climbing team for 26 years. Conrad has a philosophy of connecting his passion for climbing with his passion for the planet. He believes that we do not just measure greatness by the peaks that we climb, or the heights that we reach, but rather by the positive impact that we create for ourselves, our communities, and our planet. Everyone who is inspired by the wisdom of the great outdoors is welcome to engage in the dialogue of conservation and become an advocate for nature, protecting our sacred earth.

Michelle Uberuaga helped launch the Moms Clean Air Force chapter in Montana in 2015 and has grown Moms to nearly 4,000 Montana members. Michelle recently joined the National Parks Conservation Association as the Yellowstone senior program manager after serving for nearly a decade as the Executive Director of a community-based conservation group, Park County Environmental Council (PCEC). At PCEC, she helped organize her community and a group of business leaders to stop two gold mines on the border of Yellowstone National Park through litigation and the passage of the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act. Michelle grew up in Mount Rainier National Park, and her first home in Montana was Cooke City, where she worked as a field researcher on a coyote ecology project in Yellowstone more than 15 years ago. Having lived all over the state, Michelle and her family fell in love with the wind and chose Livingston to put down roots.