Happy trails

FSPW founding Director Phil Hough passes the torch to Rose Olson

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

For 21 years, Phil Hough has been the face — and motive power — behind Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness; but, a change is afoot as Deputy Executive Director Rose Olson will step into the top job, effective in January 2026.

FSPW announced the transition in its Nov. 6 newsletter, writing that under outgoing-Executive Director Hough’s “inspired guidance, FSPW has grown from a local grassroots advocacy group into a beloved community-rooted organization valued for stewardship, outdoor educational opportunities for school children, recreational leadership, and solutions-oriented wilderness advocacy based on inclusion and collaboration. 

“His political acumen and passion for preserving wild places have made him a respected leader across Idaho, Montana and beyond, and his influence extends well beyond FSPW, the organization’s programs and culture have become a model for conservation groups nationwide,” FSPW stated.

In an interview with the Reader, Hough said that from the organization’s inception in 2005, “we knew that in order to be successful in getting Congress to designate the area as wilderness, we needed to really engage the public. We at first had a name-recognition challenge, which was that not a lot of people knew about the Scotchman Peaks; or, if they did, they didn’t necessarily know what it was beyond its name — or, if they knew the name, they didn’t necessarily know where it was. So we had a marketing challenge, which was simply getting the word out about it.”

In the following 21 years, FSPW made the Scotchman Peaks not only known to North Idaho and northwestern Montana communities, but turned them into a household name.  

But, for the uninitiated, the Scotchman Peaks is a proposed wilderness area covering 88,000 acres — about the same size as Lake Pend Oreille — sprawling from North Idaho to northwestern Montana, crossing into Bonner, Lincoln and Sanders counties. It includes iconic destinations such as Star Peak, Little Spar Lake, the Ross Creek Cedar Waterfalls and — crowning it all — Scotchman Peak, the highest point in Bonner County at 7,018 feet.

The land has been managed by the U.S. Forest Service since the 1970s, but it lacks protection from future development. That’s why FSPW has worked to pass a bill in Congress ensuring that the area remains wild for future generations. That hasn’t happened yet, but FSPW continues its mission to secure the peaks while also expanding its reach into wider conservation, education and advocacy programs.

“There is a need for people to understand the value of wilderness,” Hough said, later adding, “One of other things that we discovered early on is that everyone felt some connection to the land. For some, it’s having the pride of living in our area; some value what they derived from living close to the land, whether it was the lake or the mountains or the forests. They took pride in that there was a connection to place.”

Realizing that decision makers were best swayed when they heard from constituents who they might not expect to be in support of wilderness designation, FSPW has relied on a strategy of community building across user groups — including with industry.

“At the end of the day, they’re going out there, and they’re hunting and they’re hiking and they’re fishing, right?” Hough said. “A lot of it became breaking down barriers and finding ways to communicate with people that didn’t make them defensive about their love for the land and allow them to express it in their own way.”

That has meant providing a suite of programs and efforts that include the Scotchmans, but also extend beyond them, including slideshow presentations, the Wild and Scenic Film Fest, storytelling sessions, regular newspaper columns and radio features, the popular Trail Ambassador program on Scotchman Peak, trail maintenance work and backcountry skills training, the Winter Tracks program and a range of citizen science projects — all of which engage hundreds of community members each year, from local schools to adults from all walks of life in both Idaho and Montana.

One highlight, according to Hough, was the 2010 effort to document the presence of rare forest carnivores such as wolverine and martens in the region. What started with a few game cameras and a handful of volunteers turned into three winters of data collecting using dozens of cameras and engaging with more than 300 volunteers.

“We collected data from 73 stations that went to feed into this program,” Hough said, adding that the results provided the Idaho Department of Fish and Game with the information to develop a state wildlife action plan to keep wolverines protected. Meanwhile, it introduced hundreds of locals to their wild backyard, and helped raise awareness for the Scotchmans and bring in new members to FSPW.

“I like to say they came for the wolverines, and they stayed for the wilderness,” Hough said. “And some of those are still very, very active volunteers today.”

One of those volunteers was Mark Cochran, who now serves as chair of the FSPW Board.

“Phil’s legacy isn’t just about programs or milestones, it’s about people,” Cochran stated. “Thanks to his vision, and with Rose’s leadership, the dream of protecting the Scotchman Peaks as designated wilderness is closer than ever.”

With Hayden as her hometown, Olson worked in marketing and earned a degree in environmental science from the University of Idaho. She and her husband — who hails from Rathdrum — came to Sandpoint in 2016 and Olson started with FSPW in 2023 as communications and engagement manager. 

“It really felt like a dream job, and looking for jobs in Sandpoint can be tricky — especially if you’re trying to do something fun and meaningful and make money,” she said.

Olson quickly moved into the deputy executive director role, and said she’s excited to pick up the torch from Hough. 

“Phil’s done an amazing job building this diverse community and really successful programs connecting people to the land and getting people engaged,” Olson said. “My initial goals are just stability and continuation.

“I think the shifts are going to be subtle,” she added. “It’s been an interesting project to work on this transition, to try to make sure we are shepherding all those relationships across this shift, and not just from Phil to me, but from Phil to our whole team, our staff and our board, because Phil’s been the mainstay over the years. He’s had a long time to really steep in all these connections and relationships and build this nice web.”

In addition to her position with FSPW, Olson also serves on the board of the Sandpoint Nordic Club and organizes the youth ski league.

Hough said he’s planning a post-retirement biking trek along the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (Katy) trail in Missouri, taking on occasional nonprofit consulting, continuing as a regular presence on KRFY 88.5 FM and, ultimately, embarking on a book project. Through it all, he has every intention to stay and remain active in the community.

“This has never been just a job for me, this has been my life. I think it’s so important to care about what you do and have some passion for it,” Hough stated. “The Scotchmans deserve lasting protection, and I am confident Rose’s leadership will carry this vision forward.”