Greater Yellowstone is an extraordinary natural and cultural landscape. Those who have lived here and those who have visited know just how special it is. Our job at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is to keep it that way. 2021 was still a departure from the norm, yet we had many successes in the conservation realm. Here’s a recap of some of our favorite moments from the past year.

GYC raises $250,000 for Yellowstone bison quarantine expansion

In spring of 2021, GYC and Yellowstone Forever each raised $250,000 to contribute to Yellowstone National Park’s efforts to expand facilities for Yellowstone’s Bison Conservation Transfer Program. This program identifies brucellosis-free bison and moves them through a multi-year quarantine process with the goal of relocating them to select Tribal and public lands. The funds secured by the conservation organizations matched the $500,000 allocated by Yellowstone National Park for the project. This project allows for the cultural and ecological restoration of wild bison across portions of their historic range. Expansion of the facility began in early summer, and the increased capacity will result in more bison being diverting from slaughter and restored to lands where they are wanted.

New elk occupancy agreement conserves elk habitat in Montana

In an innovative approach to securing wildlife habitat, GYC and The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) partnered to implement the first elk occupancy agreement in the northern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. An elk occupancy agreement is a voluntary agreement between wildlife interests and landowners to improve tolerance for wild elk on private land and conserve elk habitat. This benefits elk by giving them a dedicated winter range as they move along their migration corridor.

Landmark rivers conservation bill back in the U.S. Senate

On June 24, 2021, Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) reintroduced the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act into the U.S. Senate. The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act protects over 380 miles of some of the best rivers in Montana as Wild and Scenic Rivers, the majority of which are in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This bill is the result of a decade’s worth of outreach and collaboration to safeguard Montana’s free-flowing rivers from development and other degradation.

GYC gathers over 3,000 comments against the Kilgore gold exploration project

In February 2021, GYC and over 3,000 GYC supporters spoke out on behalf of the water and wildlife of eastern Idaho’s rugged and wild Centennial mountains. The area is home to sensitive species such as grizzly bear, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, and whitebark pine, and is currently under threat from the Kilgore Gold Exploration Project - destructive gold exploration activities spearheaded by Canadian-owned mining company, Excellon Resources.

Wyoming continues to lead the way for wildlife crossings

Greater Yellowstone is home to thousands of elk, mule deer, moose, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep. Wyoming’s public and private lands provide critical habitat for these animals, which are treasured by residents and visitors alike. With so many animals living in the midst of human development, wildlife inevitably encounter roadways as they move to and from summer or winter ranges. GYC is working to bring new solutions that help keep our landscapes permeable to wildlife and safe for those who live and travel through here. Wyoming continues to lead the way as we work to construct innovative, site-specific wildlife crossings around the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Keeping bears wild, people safe, and livelihoods in place in Greater Yellowstone

Grizzly bears are the icon of Greater Yellowstone and a remarkable conservation success story. Yellowstone grizzlies were once on the brink of extinction, yet today, after decades of persistent efforts to restore this magnificent species, they are finally expanding into places they have not been seen in generations. As bears move back into their historic range, we are partnering with farmers and ranchers to ensure they have the support they need to maintain their way of life in bear county. GYC works hard to keep grizzlies wild, people safe, and livelihoods in place throughout Greater Yellowstone.

GYC and partners release final Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment to the public

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is valued for its diverse forests, fish, wildlife, and water. There is no other place like it in the world, so when scientists approached GYC to partner on a new report to address the impacts of climate change, we joined the team without hesitation. Our team worked alongside scientists and advocates of all stripes to assess the past, current, and future state of climate change and its impacts throughout our region. In June of 2021, the report was released and its findings shared broadly. The Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment Report is the first report of its kind to take a look at climate impacts at the ecosystem scale

GYC and partners meet in Montana’s Ruby Valley to talk restoration, coexistence, and resiliency

The Ruby Valley is a patchwork of public and private land consisting of working ranches, open space, wildlife habitat, and national forests. Every summer, the Ruby Valley Strategic Alliance (of which GYC is a member) meets in the valley to visit the on-the-ground conservation projects, including carcass composting sites and heritage orchards. This work aligns with GYC’s priorities of conserving core habitat, enhancing landscape connectivity, and ensuring diverse voices are represented in the conservation movement.

GYC retrofits fencing in the Sand Creek Desert to support vital wildlife migrations

Lesser-known and seemingly far removed from other areas of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Sand Creek Desert is a stark contrast to its neighboring lands. This ecosystem, however, plays a significant role in providing crucial winter range for ungulate species, such as elk, moose, and mule deer, that spend their summers in the neighboring mountain ranges and national parks. GYC staff spent some time in the Sand Creek Desert altering and removing fences to make them friendlier to moving wildlife. Wildlife-friendly fencing is one step within a holistic approach to protecting ungulate migrations throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

New GYC strategic plan sets vision for next five years

As the sole organization with a mission to work with all people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, we deal with change by carefully monitoring emerging issues and maintaining a commitment to evolution as conditions change. This means we do a lot of planning. This includes an extensive, organization-wide process every three to five years to develop the vision and goals for the next chapter of our work, i.e., we write a new strategic plan.

Absaroka Fence Initiative provides neighborly fencing solutions east of Yellowstone

Working in cooperation with willing landowners and land managers, Absaroka Fence Initiative aims to ensure fences are functional for livestock management and wildlife movement across the landscape through on the ground projects, public workdays, and outreach to the community. GYC is excited to support this unique and innovative collaborative to solve complex challenges facing our region. The Absaroka Fence Initiative fosters good neighbors, enhances wildlife movement, maintains livestock functionality, and helps evolve and share knowledge of effective fence designs in Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

An enormous thank you to all our supporters over this remarkable year for this remarkable landscape. If you’d like to make a year-end gift to help our work protecting the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, we’d be forever grateful. See you in 2022 for another year of conservation wins!

—Scott Christensen, Executive Director

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 49+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.