Staff and Advisors
Scott Carlson (Executive Director)
Scott is a life-long outdoor enthusiast with extensive experience guiding and outfitting fly-fishers for salmon and steelhead in wilderness locations throughout British Columbia. He previously guided on the Dean River for over 15 years. His time spent with family and friends in the Dean and Bella Coola valleys has nurtured a deep passion to protect this special region. Scott holds an MBA and a BA from the University of Victoria. Email: scarlson@coastalriversconservancy.org
Matt Sloat (Science Advisor)
Dr. Matthew Sloat is a fish ecologist with over 20 years of research experience in the Rocky Mountains, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and California. He holds a Ph.D. in Fisheries Science from Oregon State University and specializes in the ecology of Pacific salmon watersheds. Dr. Sloat is committed to conservation across international boundaries and sits on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Salmonid Specialist Group and is a US delegate to the bilateral US and Russia working group on the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources. In 2018, Dr. Sloat was named a National Geographic Explorer in support of his work to protect salmon watersheds in the Russian Far East.
Board of Directors
William (Billy) Blewett
Billy has co-owned and operated Lower Dean River Lodge (LDRL) since 1999. His family has been an integral part of the lodge since his father founded it in the mid-sixties. He is active in the protection of the Dean watershed and has assisted scientists with many salmon, steelhead and wildlife research studies throughout BC’s central coast, providing transportation, enumeration and collection services. Through his efforts, LDRL has supported Nuxalk’s SEAS program for the last five years. As a key stakeholder on the Dean River, he has been an important member of The Dean River Advisory Committee for 20 years. Billy’s in-depth knowledge of the central coast’s wild salmon and steelhead runs comes from a life spent exploring its many marine channels and rivers.
Andrew Beldin
Andrew is an avid salmon and steelhead angler and can often be found on waters around Portland, Oregon. He makes an annual pilgrimage to the Dean River, continuing over fifty years of tradition started by his grandfather. When not on the river Andrew is an active investor working with companies that vary from start-ups to growing medium size businesses. He is a board member for several portfolio companies, assists as a strategic advisor to young companies, and serves on advisory board roles in both higher education and not for profit. Andrew is also Vice President of the Paulus Family Foundation where he leads the foundation’s initiatives in conservation and fostering entrepreneurial activity. Andrew holds an MBA from Willamette University and a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Scott Carlson
Scott is a life-long outdoor enthusiast with extensive experience guiding and outfitting fly-fishers for salmon and steelhead in wilderness locations throughout British Columbia. He previously guided on the Dean River for over 15 years. His time spent with family and friends in the Dean and Bella Coola valleys has nurtured a deep passion to protect this special region. Scott holds an MBA and a BA from the University of Victoria.