Josh grew up exploring the Driftless Area near his hometown of Red Wing, Minnesota. Climbing limestone bluffs and fishing its rivers—from the Mississippi River and its tributaries to coldwater trout streams—instilled in him an appreciation for and desire to protect our natural resources.
Josh achieved his bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Minnesota-Duluth before earning his master’s in geography from the University of South Carolina. Josh joined Huron Pines in 2013 to manage river restoration projects and is involved with a variety of other restoration and community engagement efforts. Josh enjoys trail running, fishing, and travel and currently resides with his partner in Traverse City, Michigan.

TSN Conference 2026

January 22nd, 2026 (Thursday) // 12:10 pm – 12:35 pm // Room 106 // Sanback Dam Removal: A Multifaceted Project Approach // Dam removal is a complex topic often requiring a great deal of community engagement, technical expertise, and environmental considerations. Beyond the technical aspects of removing a dam to restore river process and function, many questions arise. Huron Pines is currently working with the City of Rose City, MI to remove the Sanback Dam, which will be used as a case study for this presentation. Interrelated topics to be covered will include dam removal, river restoration, community engagement, invasive plant management, park space renovation, and long-term monitoring and management of the project area long after the dam is removed. Each dam removal project is unique, but our goal is to share an approach and generate discussion about how to best approach such projects while balancing the needs of local communities, the environment, and financial and technical constraints of a project.