Charlie Baun

Biography

I am a fourth-generation Idahoan, a lifelong resident of the Treasure Valley, and my family has lived in the Eagle area for the last 11 years.  I have been married to my incredible wife Katie for 16 years and we have two boys (Keagan 15 and Kellan 11).  Katie has been teaching English in the Treasure Valley for 20 years and is currently the English Department Chair and girls basketball coach at Eagle Middle School.  Both of our boys have grown up in the area and attended Eagle Hills Elementary and Eagle Middle School since kindergarten. 

I graduated from Meridian High School in 1993 before receiving my Bachelor’s degree from the College of Idaho in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Journalism.  I later received a Master’s degree from the University of Idaho in Natural Resources Management with an emphasis in Disturbance Ecology and Environmental Policy and Economics.  My undergraduate and graduate studies were primarily associated with natural resources issues and policies throughout Idaho, with the majority of my environmental planning work associated with development-related resource issues affecting southwestern Idaho (Ada, Canyon, Elmore, and Owyhee Counties).       

I have worked in the Treasure Valley my entire life.  My first job in the area was bussing tables at Elmer’s Pancake House when I was 14, and I have been working in the Valley ever since.  I am currently the Conservation Branch Manager for the Idaho Army National Guard.  I have had the honor of supporting the Guard’s mission for the last 10 years.  I am also a successful small business owner.  I started Environmental Conservation Services Inc., a small environmental consulting firm, in 2006.  As the owner of ECS, I have primarily worked with municipal, state, and federal agencies, as well as private developers, conservation organizations, and a number of resource user groups.  ECS has been a contractor for the City of Eagle as a subject matter expert for natural resources since 2009.  ECS’s primary function has been to review development and land use planning documents for the City and to advise staff on resource issues. 

In addition to working with these groups as a contractor or employee, I have also been on a number of commissions, boards, and committees over the years.  It is my strong belief that if I disagree with a policy or plan, or if I have ideas to make an existing plan better, it is my responsibility as a citizen to promote that change through active participation.  It is our privilege to live in a country that gives us the ability to publicly speak our mind and actively change the laws we are governed by, as well as the community plans that will shape our future.  It is only when you choose not to actively participate in the process that you truly lose your rights.       

Appointments to Commissions/Boards/Committees

• Ada County Planning and Zoning Committee - Committee Chair (2014-2019)
• City of Eagle Parks, Pathways & Recreation Commission (2013-2019)
• National Guard Bureau’s Environmental Advisory Committee 2011-Present
• Eagle Comprehensive Planning Committee (2006/2007 and 2017/2018)
• Board Supervisor for the Ada County Soil and Water Conservation District (2007-2014)
• Ada County Open Space Task Force (2007-2008)
• Blue-Print for Good Growth Open Space Subcommittee (2007-2008)
• Payette River Scenic Bi-way Advisory Board (2007-2008)