Our drinking water, pristine public lands, and iconic wildlife are at risk. This week, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its plans to strip millions of acres of forest lands of their protections, including more than 58 million acres across the country and nearly 19 million acres in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Urgently, we need you to speak up for public lands – again.

Some of the wildest, most pristine forests in the region may be at risk under a proposal to roll back the 25-year-old Roadless Area Conservation Rule. These undeveloped lands provide drinking water, habitat for iconic wildlife, and world-class outdoor recreation opportunities.

GYC announces that longtime GYC team members Charles Drimal and Kathy Rinaldi have been promoted to serve as our new Directors of Conservation, and Faye Nelson has joined the team as our new Director of Development.

The Idaho Transportation Department recently secured $20.8 million in federal grant funding to build three wildlife underpasses at Rocky Point, a section of U.S. Highway 30 that has an unprecedented number wildlife-vehicle collisions every year. This funding will create safer conditions for drivers and allow one of Idaho’s largest mule deer herds to complete seasonal migrations. 

The BLM released the most significant change in the management of BLM lands in 50 years with the final Public Lands Rule, which puts conservation on equal ground with other uses like mining and energy development.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is seeking public feedback about balancing public lands management to focus on cultural lands protection, conservation, recreation, wildlife, and more.

GYC has partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to review all five national forests surrounding Yellowstone National Park with the goal of identifying and subsequently decommissioning illegal, unnecessary, or unsuccessfully closed roads and restoring the roadbeds back to a natural state. The roads are prioritized for restoration according to their potential to benefit grizzlies and other wildlife.

Teton County, Wyoming adopts regulations to end the feeding of wild animals.

GYC is supporting the Caribou Targhee National Forest with funds for on-the-ground work to improve wildlife habitat and fisheries.

Today, Judge Winmill ruled that the U.S. Forest Service must conduct further research before allowing toxic cyanide gold mining near Kilgore, Idaho, just west of Yellowstone National Park. This order temporarily halts a proposed open-pit, cyanide, heap-leach gold mine being explored by foreign mining company, Otis Gold.

As grizzly bears continue to thrive across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Greater Yellowstone Coalition works towards solutions to keep bears alive and people safe. This includes bear-proofing campgrounds throughout Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.