Justin Hayes, who announced last year he was taking a new position at the group American Rivers.

Justin Hayes, who rose to the role of executive director of the Idaho Conservation League as part of a nearly 25-year tenure with the Boise-based nonprofit organization, announced that he will leave the organization to accept a new conservation position.

Hayes joined the Idaho Conservation League as a program director almost 25 years ago and worked on numerous conservation and environmental initiatives before being named executive director in 2018, the Idaho Conservation League announced in a press release issued last week. 

As executive director, Hayes led the Idaho Conservation League, or ICL for short, through two new strategic plans, helped launch new wildlife and water programs, opened a new McCall field office and oversaw an increase in revenue and financial performance, the Idaho Conservation League announced.

Hayes succeeded Rick Johnson, who pushed for more than 20 years to win protection for the Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness, as executive director of the Idaho Conservation League.

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Hayes has accepted a new position as the North Rockies conservation director for American Rivers, where he will focus on protecting and restoring wild rivers in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, officials said. 

“Serving as executive director has been incredibly rewarding for me,” Hayes said in a written statement. “But it has also meant spending less time personally doing the conservation work that first drew me to this field. At 57, I’m not ready to retire — but I can see it on the horizon. As I’ve reflected on how I want to spend the final phase of my career, I’ve realized that I want to be back on the ground, as a staffer, doing work focused on the rivers and fish that have always inspired me.”

What’s next for the Idaho Conservation League?

Following Hayes’ departure, Conservation Director Brad Smith will serve as interim executive director of the Idaho Conservation League, the organization announced. Idaho Conservation League officials will conduct a search for the next permanent executive director in the coming months, officials said. 

“Justin has been an exceptional leader for ICL, and he will be deeply missed,” Smith said in a written statement. “We’re grateful for all he has accomplished and wish him the very best in his next chapter. Thanks to Justin’s dedication and vision, he leaves ICL in a strong and stable position for our next executive director.”

In 2023 Idaho Conservation League celebrated the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1973. Headquartered in Boise with offices in McCall, Sandpoint and Ketchum, the Idaho Conservation League employs 24 people and focuses on protecting clean air, clean water, land and wildlife.