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Claire grew up in Montana and spent much of her life in the West where she fell in love with its beautiful, wide-open landscapes. Currently, she is a Wyss Fellow and Program Associate with the World Wildlife Fund Northern Great Plains program based in Bozeman, Montana. With the goal of conserving one of the last intact grasslands in the world, her work focuses on preventing wildlife impacts and habitat fragmentation from energy development through smart landscape-scale planning. In 2014, Claire graduated from the University of Maryland with a M.S. in Conservation Biology and a M.P.P. in Environmental Policy. Her graduate research focused on hydrocarbon development on the National Wildlife Refuge System and its impacts on water resources. Prior to finishing grad school, Claire worked for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and multiple conservation nonprofits. She also has a variety of conservation skills, including experience in fieldwork, environmental education, and communications. Her interest in public policy and love of the outdoors has driven her to a career in public lands management. Claire hopes to continue working in the West to conserve some of our country’s cherished landscapes.