Matt Walton Obituary, Death – Matt joined the Department in March 2003 and worked as the Land Owner Relations/Public Access Specialist in Tucson for the duration of his employment with us. For the past 20 years, Matt has devoted his life to ensuring that wildlife enthusiasts from the present and future generations will have access to public lands in Region 5. His most recent success was completing public access to Cross F ranch.
Matt was frequently organizing or hauling out the results of an illegal dump site clean up or fence removal project, changing out signs and checking sign-in boxes, supervising interns, and managing prison work crews when he wasn’t whizzing across the Region to attend public meetings, bargain with private ranchers, or meet with Agency officials. Additionally, Matt used his interpersonal abilities with several government organizations.
throughout the basement of each county recorder’s office throughout the southeast of the state, he spent days looking over ancient records. All of the county, Forest Service, and BLM employees he interacted with grew to be friends. He also had time to assist with surveys of bighorn sheep or electrofishing. Matt was elusive to observe sitting motionless. We most frequently observed him carrying his files, keys, and other small belongings down the hallway as he made his way to another assignment or left to pick up his children from school, with a ballcap uncomfortably balanced on top of his head.
He would, however, frequently take the time to pause and chat briefly with you about the automobiles he was trading parts for, the trip or vacation he was planning, and in the process, he would fill your ear with all the little details that go into a good story. Even though Matt had a reputation for being a little verbose, everything he said served a purpose and added intrigue to the story.
