Dave moved into Precipice Valley in the West Chilcotin in 1986. With him were his wife Rosemary, two dogs, two cats, and 3 horses. Although the nearest village was 3 — hours away on a seasonal access road he first worked as a Park Ranger in Tweedsmuir Park and then became involved in environmental campaigns. He then worked extensively on conservation and wilderness tourism issues, both locally and provincially. As an activist he helped create several organizations to assist communities and First Nations in the creation of land use plans that reflected their conservation and tourism interests.
Dave also played a key role in several government land use planning processes. In this regard, he was instrumental in the creation of several Provincial Parks for protecting important biodiversity and endangered species.
During those years he wrote an environmental column for the Williams Lake Tribune and had articles in various publications. He also wrote a blog as a way to express his feelings and philosophies about wilderness living, along with the life and adventures he and Rosemary had during their 27 years in Precipice Valley.