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.

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

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. 

Gallagher’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch, a fun-filled fall destination and recent hot spot for grizzly bears, last month received electrified fencing to reduce conflicts on the property. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, USDA Wildlife Services, and Defenders of Wildlife, completed the 9,600-foot long, five-wire electrified fence to keep people and grizzlies safe.

A growing number of Idaho hunters, anglers, farmers, ranchers, outdoor recreationists, families, and conservationists have joined the Clean Kilgore Coalition to protect the precious water, land, wildlife, and outdoor heritage that Excellon’s toxic gold mine would threaten.  

As news spreads that Grizzly bear 399 was struck and killed by a vehicle this week in Wyoming, it’s worth pausing to recognize how a single bruin in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem made such an impact on how people connect with the species.  

Grizzly bears are one of Greater Yellowstone’s most iconic species and a key component in a healthy ecosystem, but their wildness and human safety is put at risk by the bears’ penchant for getting into trash. This summer, GYC invested in various programs to implement bear-resistant storage solutions across the ecosystem, including at campgrounds, a school, and backcountry livestock allotments.

In June 2024, GYC and the U.S. Forest Service finalized the second phase of the Absaroka-Beartooth Gateway acquisition project, turning several former mining claims in the New World Mining District into protected public lands. Now, the risk of mining on these lands is greatly reduced.

Southwest Montana’s Madison and Gallatin mountain ranges are some of the wildest places left in the continental United States. These wild lands are beloved by those who live here and those who visit, and they are under threat. That’s why the Gallatin Forest Partnership has developed a realistic solution to permanently protect 250,000 acres of public land in the Madison and Gallatin ranges – the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act.

When bears wake up in Greater Yellowstone, we know spring is on its way. This month, GYC celebrated the return of bears with a project to keep bears alive and people safe in Montana and hosted a film screening about grizzly bears in Idaho. We also have an upcoming event in Bozeman on May 2 that we hope you’ll attend.

Buckle up! It’s going to be a big year for GYC and the lands, waters, and wildlife of Greater Yellowstone.

Join us for a journey down memory lane and let’s celebrate all we did together for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.