In the Montana State Legislature, two bad bills for wolves – HB 176 and HB 222 – threaten to halve Montana's wolf population, the integrity of community-driven wildlife management, and the state’s ability to appropriately manage wolves.  

The Idaho Transportation Department recently secured $20.8 million in federal grant funding to build three wildlife underpasses at Rocky Point, a section of U.S. Highway 30 that has an unprecedented number wildlife-vehicle collisions every year. This funding will create safer conditions for drivers and allow one of Idaho’s largest mule deer herds to complete seasonal migrations. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to hear from people who care about grizzly bears and want to help shape their future.

On January 8, 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s announced the decision to keep grizzly populations protected under the Endangered Species Act and proposed next steps highlights the unique needs of grizzlies and charts a durable path for improved co-management with states so that communities have the best available tools for living alongside bears.

On December 31, 2024, the state of Montana filed a frivolous lawsuit against Yellowstone National Park over its recently adopted bison management plan.

We recap our 2024 favorite conservation moments and wins in Greater Yellowstone.

To be good neighbors and stewards of this ecosystem, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is working in Montana and Wyoming to create wildlife-friendly fences. In 2024, GYC supported 11 fencing projects that removed or modified more than 16 miles of fence! 

Modern gold mining often involves stripping hillsides, crushing rock into dust, and using cyanide solutions to extract gold from low-grade ore. Although this method of heap-leaching is economically efficient, it poses substantial environmental risks. Numerous catastrophic mining failures in the U.S. in recent decades offer a cautionary tale of what could go wrong if the financially unstable foreign mining company currently exploring for gold in the Centennial Mountains above Kilgore, Idaho are permitted to mine.

This summer, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, hosted the first of a series of meetings to bring information to producers on the reservation about programs that support agriculture and wildlife. 

To prevent bears from coming onto campus and getting into garbage, GYC partnered with Bear Awareness Gardiner and Gardiner Public Schools to install bear-proof garbage containers on the school grounds. When used properly, bear-proof trash cans prevent bears from getting into garbage, which prevents them from getting in trouble and keeps them alive. It will also prevent close encounters with students, staff, and visitors. 

On November 19, 2024, the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act passed the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for the first time in its legislative history. This brings the made-in-Montana legislation one step closer to becoming law.

On November 7, 2024, the Wyoming State Board of Land Commissioners with a 3-2 vote approved the sale of the 640-acre Kelly Parcel to Grand Teton National Park. The $100 million sale will benefit Wyoming public schools and ensure this spectacular piece of land is public for Wyomingites and visitors to enjoy.