GYC Bids a Fond Farewell to Yellowstone Park Superintendent Cam Sholly

Sep 11

Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly is leaving his post after nearly eight years leading the world’s first national park.

Sholly became Yellowstone’s superintendent in October 2018, returning to the park where he began his National Park Service career in 1990 when he worked in Yellowstone’s backcountry. A third-generation National Park Service manager, Sholly brought decades of experience to the role and led Yellowstone through one of the most consequential periods in the park’s recent history.

*(L-R) GYC Executive Director Scott Christensen, GYC Senior Wind River Conservation Associate Wes Martel, and Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly at the* *Yellowstone Revealed* *event in 2022. (Photo GYC/Scott Christensen)*

His tenure included navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, government shutdowns, increasing visitation, and the historic 2022 floods, which devastated roads and infrastructure in and around the park. Following the floods, Yellowstone reopened nearly all the park within just 20 days and rebuilt two major road corridors within four months.

Sholly also prioritized conservation and collaboration across park boundaries. Under his leadership, Yellowstone developed a new long-term bison management plan and expanded efforts to transfer live bison to tribes, while also investing in native species conservation, infrastructure, and the park workforce.

Particularly important to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is that Sholly emphasized building partnerships.

“Cam Sholly has been an outstanding leader for Yellowstone National Park during an unprecedented period. He successfully led the park through a global pandemic, a 500-year flood event, multiple government shutdowns, and a time of steadily increasing visitation,” said Greater Yellowstone Coalition Executive Director Scott Christensen.

“Through it all, Cam has worked tirelessly to bring together a broad spectrum of people and communities, state and federal agencies, and nonprofit partners like the Greater Yellowstone Coalition to effectively address the many challenges and opportunities facing the world’s first national park. He has been an excellent steward of Yellowstone, advancing important conservation efforts ranging from bison to native trout. He has also been a consistent advocate for coordinating conservation efforts across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Cam’s leadership will be missed, but he should be proud of his many accomplishments during his time as superintendent. We wish him well in his next chapter.”

Thank you, Cam.