SSLT STAFF

A native of rural central Nebraska, Heath has lived in Pocatello since February of 1995. After studying Business Management and Speech Communications at the University of Nebraska, he earned a BS in Zoology from Idaho State University. He has a diverse professional and volunteer background, including small business ownership (Mountain Mann Bicycles), project planning, management, and capitol campaign direction. 

Heath is a passionate supporter of the natural world, regularly participating in mountain biking, downhill and cross country skiing, camping, and sailing. He has been a Senior member, Instructor of OEC, Team Leader, and Candidate Class Coordinator of the Pebble Creek Ski Patrol for 26 years. While owning Mountain Mann Bicycles, Heath has been a strong advocate for responsible use of local multi-use trails, including rider education and technical skills training.

Matthew Coombs grew up in northern Utah helping his dad and grandfather on the family’s small farm and cattle ranch. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics from the University of Idaho before moving to South America where he spent 3.5 years working with the Peace Corps to support local communities in sustainable agriculture, agribusiness, and natural resources projects.

Matt met his wife, Casey, just before leaving Ecuador and returned to her home state of New York where they spent several years working with and managing small farms and community supported agriculture programs in New York’s Hudson Valley. Matt became involved with the Orange County Land Trust (OCLT) after hosting one of their events at a farm he was managing and eventually went to work assisting with land stewardship and the development of several community-based conservation projects with both OCLT and Groundwork Hudson Valley.

Matt and Casey returned to Utah in 2011 to attend graduate school at Utah State University where Matt studied landscape architecture and earned a Master’s degree in Bioregional Planning. Matt’s graduate work included a baseline study to support a comprehensive management plan for Utah’s sovereign land resources along the Bear River. He was hired by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands as the Bear River Area Sovereign Lands Coordinator and spent 7 years working on everything from environmental permitting to vegetation management, recreational access and infrastructure projects at Bear Lake, Bear River and the north end of the Great Salt Lake.

Matt and Casey live in Cache Valley where they enjoy sharing the region’s many wonderful outdoor and recreational opportunities with their two children, Claire and Ben. Matt looks forward to working with private landowners and partners throughout the Bear River Watershed to help preserve critical components of the landscape, support the livelihoods of local farmers and ranchers, and maintain our rich quality of life and regional identity for future generations.

Matt Martens grew up on a 3rd generation grain farm in the Oklahoma panhandle and went on to study Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University. A lifelong outdoorsman, Matt spent his weekends training birddogs, guiding hunters for quail and pheasant, and taking trips across the west where he developed a deep passion for wild places and untrammeled landscapes.

In 2013, Matt began teaching fly-fishing on the Cimarron River in New Mexico, and in 2014 he moved to Idaho Falls where he continued guiding fly-fishing and hunting in many areas across Idaho, Montana, and Texas. In the following years, Matt served as Director of Recreation for a 30,000-acre working cattle ranch in West Texas and a 1,200 acre 5-star lodge in Paradise Valley, Montana where he launched fly-fishing programs on the Yellowstone River, Wildlife Educational Tours inside Yellowstone National Park, and a myriad of responsible land-use programs including big-game hunting, trap/long-range shooting, ATV/hiking/cycling trails, archery courses, and more.

For the last two years, Matt has served as a licensed real estate agent and Land Specialist in southeast Idaho for Whitetail Properties, a brokerage which specializes in farm, ranch, and outdoor recreational properties. Matt lives with his three amazing daughters who continually remind him why the future of our natural resources and responsible land management is so important, and he is passionate about connecting with landowners to help them achieve their conservation, legacy, and stewardship goals.

Eric Pankau is a local of Southeast Idaho. Born in Idaho Falls and spending most of his childhood exploring Idaho’s mountain areas. Eric completed his bachelors degree in Environmental Studies at Boise State University, focusing on natural resources management and Geographic Information Systems. While working on his undergraduate degree Eric worked a unique series of jobs including salmon supplementation and post release monitoring, vineyard surveying, sage grouse diet analysis and pack rat nest aging. After this, Eric and his wife Caitlin moved to Alaska to live and work on a remote island facility focusing on large scale salmon production.

Following this foray in the Pacific Northwest, Eric and family moved back to southeast Idaho working for IDFG in the public fish hatchery system, until switching gears to work as a high school ecology and natural resources teacher. Eric is a former teacher at Pocatello High School. They have a lovely 9 year old daughter named Isobel. Most recently Eric completed a masters degree in Education from Idaho State University and has been rounding out his range and forestry science/management skills working with agency and industry professionals to develop a dynamic curriculum for local high schoolers. He is an avid big game hunter and fisherman and loves pretty much anything outdoors. He looks forward to helping the SSLT meet their growing stewardship program needs.

Abby was born and raised in Idaho and from an early age began to cultivate a relationship with the outdoors.  Every summer was spent camping and exploring the local mountains, rivers, lakes and wildlife under the watchful and curious eye of her father, Ed.  From hiking to climbing and swimming to reading, these landscapes provided freedom, healing, and a sense of wonder.

She has lived and worked in Pocatello since 2006 and after attaining her BA in Theater from Idaho State University she entered the world of food.  Managing a few successful local eateries, Abby was able to create lasting relationships both business and personal and build a solid reputation here in the Pocatello community.

She came to Sagebrush Steppe with the hopes of serving her community in a different capacity and the want to help protect these spaces she holds dear.  Along with her two dogs and a cat, Abby has made Pocatello her home and wants nothing more than to see the joy these landscapes bring to future generations.

Hannah is from Idaho Falls and has always been passionate about science and art. She attended ISU and graduated in 2024 with her BS in Biology, emphasizing in Ecology and Conservation. She loves drawing, painting, and spending time with her dog Hank. She excitedly joined SSLT because she wants to help protect Idaho’s open spaces and work outside. Hannah loves living in Pocatello and enjoys working with others on projects that benefit the community. In addition to working with SSLT, she hopes to inspire others through scientific illustration. She is eager to begin working on art pieces that depict the gorgeous landscapes and organisms she gets to see in the field.

Carly is a Pocatello local who grew up biking, running, skiing, and hiking in the hills surrounding her hometown. She has come to love the sagebrush steppe and all the life it teems with — from junipers and wildflowers to mule deer and songbirds. Today, she continues to enjoy it in all four seasons with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. 

With a background in education and journalism, Carly is excited to share the land trust’s mission and vision with a wider audience, and to forge stronger partnerships with Southeast Idahoans who care about conserving open spaces in this special corner of the state. Carly has a master’s degree in English from Idaho State University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Montana.