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.

Muddy Ridge is an expanse of undeveloped land in the northeast portion of the Wind River Indian Reservation removed from Tribal control in 1920 to create irrigation infrastructure for non-Tribal residents. GYC is working in lockstep with Tribal leadership from both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes to advocate for the repatriation of Muddy Ridge and resolve this decades-old injustice.

Rivers are the lifeblood of Montana. A low snow year, coupled with the impacts of population growth and climate change, are stark reminders that our rivers need our help. That’s why now is the time to pass the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act (MHLA). As we anticipate the bill’s hearing this spring, we critically need Senator Daines to support the MHLA.

The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act (MHLA) is back in U.S. Senate. We need you to help make it law.

If passed, House Bill 971 would repeal the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) for significant projects that could harm our environment and climate if the Montana Supreme Court were to ever find that Montanans’ right to a clean and healthful environment requires state agencies to consider climate impacts.

As a part of GYC’s Tribal work, we’re gathering people together to dive into impactful stories, photos, and film that showcase the social, economic, and cultural injustices against Indigenous People.

A recap from the Water Protection and Climate Resilience panel from the Wind River Inter-Tribal Gathering.

GYC and partners complete an engineering survey for a Yellowstone cutthroat trout restoration project on Crandall Creek.

On March 1, 2022, the virtual Inter-Tribal Gathering commemorated the 150th Anniversary of Yellowstone National Park. The intent was not only to pay respect to the significance of Yellowstone as the flagship of landscape conservation, but also to elevate Indigenous people’s connection to this treasured landscape that have existed for millennia.

An update on new support for the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act.

Senator Jon Tester reintroduces the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act, a groundbreaking bill protecting over 380 river miles, into the U.S. Senate.

The Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment draws on the best-available science to provide a basis for understanding the consequences of climate change in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.