Blog and Stories
The Roadless Rule Protects More Than Wild Places
Check out GYC Executive Director Scott Christensen’s column on the USDA elimination of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule.
New Wildlife Crossing Nears Completion in Southeast Idaho, Keeping People and Wildlife Safe
Construction of three wildlife underpasses on U.S. Highway 30 south of Montpelier will be completed this fall, improving safety for people while protecting migrating deer and other wildlife.
Bear Lake County Commissioner Wynn Olsen, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Idaho Conservation League, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the Idaho Transportation Department on Tuesday hosted staff from the offices of Sen. Mike Crapo, Sen. Jim Risch, Rep. Mike Simpson, and other regional decision-makers to tour the project to demonstrate the importance of wildlife crossings to public safety and wildlife migrations on Idaho roads.
USDA Announces Plan to Rollback Roadless Area Conservation Rule
Some of the wildest, most pristine forest lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are under threat by the rollback of the 25-year-old Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Millions of acres of spectacular, undeveloped places are at risk of development. Join us to speak up for your favorite wild places and urge the USDA to keep the Roadless Rule.
Laying the Groundwork for Wildlife Crossings in Eastern Idaho
For years, GYC has advocated for infrastructure on US 20 in Idaho to mitigate wildlife-vehicle collisions and connect fragmented habitat, and a new report highlights the importance of continuing this work. Along the 45-mile stretch from Ashton to the state line, three other sections also landed among the priorities, demonstrating the need to protect this entire corridor.
Grand Targhee Expansion Decision Will Harm Teton Wildlife
The west slope of the Tetons provide premium habitat for bighorn sheep, nesting raptors, and other wildlife — but newly approved development on public land here is likely to make their lives much more difficult. That’s a key impact of Grand Targhee Resort’s expansion plan, which the Caribou-Targhee National Forest approved in early June.
We Need a Public Lands Champion to Lead the BLM, Not Steve Pearce
The nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management has an anti-public lands track record. Steve Pearce’s confirmation hearing is expected to be held on February 25. Act now – contact your Senators and ask them to stand up for public lands once again by stopping Pearce’s nomination as BLM Director.
Keeping Grizzly Bears Wild and People Safe in 2025
For more than 40 years, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition has worked to ensure grizzly bears thrive across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This past year, your support made a real difference. Across the ecosystem, we advanced conflict-prevention strategies, strengthened partnerships with agencies and communities, and invested in practical tools that help people and bears thrive on shared landscapes.
Celebrating Our Favorite Moments from 2025
We recap our 2025 favorite conservation moments and wins in Greater Yellowstone.
Water Quality Study Underscores Dangers of Cyanide Gold Mining in Centennial Mountains
A recent water quality study by researchers at Brigham Young University–Idaho found that streams near the Kilgore Gold Exploration site are highly sensitive to acid pollution, underscoring the risks that a potential open-pit, heap-leach cyanide gold mine could bring in this area.
Together, We’re Greater
What we’ve learned over the last four decades, and even more acutely understood in just the last few years, is that conserving a place as big as Greater Yellowstone starts small. Conservation of this beloved region begins first in conversations with friends, stakeholders, and neighbors. It’s working together with all people to build home-grown solutions that protect iconic wildlife, our public lands, and the cold, clean waters that are the lifeblood of Greater Yellowstone. And it turns out that when we work together, we’re greater.
Greater Yellowstone Coalition Launches Public Lands Protection Ad Campaign
GYC launches public lands protection campaign.
Idaho Lawmakers Weaken Cyanide Mining Safeguards, Threatening Water, Wildlife, and Outdoor Heritage
Idaho’s passage of Senate Bill 1170 weakens cyanide mining safeguards by transferring oversight from environmental experts to lawmakers, allowing mining companies to operate with fewer safety rules despite cyanide’s well-known risks. This shift endangers Idaho’s clean water, wildlife, and outdoor heritage—resources GYC is working to protect in Kilgore, where a foreign, financially unstable company is exploring for gold. Without action, an open-pit, heap-leach cyanide mine could transform this unspoiled corner of the Centennial Mountains.