A business leader focused on the nondestructive testing industry, Mark Ficek serves as the president of Metals Testing Services, which he has led for over 15 years. Outside of work, Mark Ficek enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking. In the past, he has hiked through several notable areas, including the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
Located in Montana, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex is a congressionally designated wilderness area that comprises the Bob Marshall Wilderness as well as the Great Bear Wilderness and the Scapegoat Wilderness. Together, the three areas encompass over 1.5 million acres and make up the third-largest designated wilderness area in the lower 48 states.
The Bob Marshall Wilderness was created through the Wilderness Act of 1964, but much of the land was previously protected in the early 1940s. The area is named after Wilderness Society co-founder Bob Marshall, a forester and early leader in wilderness preservation credited with single-handedly protecting more than five million acres of wildlands.
Within the wilderness area, visitors can explore one of the most completely preserved mountain ecosystems. The area's varied terrain is home to a wide range wildlife, including elk, deer, lynx, bear, wolves, and dozens of bird species.
