Much has recently been written about the galvanizing force of public lands. I suggest we strive for more than simply defending public land from the highest bidder or biggest dozer. Let’s proactively protect them. This is the best investment we can make for ourselves, our children, and our way life. Fortunately, there are two opportunities right now in southwest Montana to do just that.  

Today, we need you to speak up for Montana wolves as the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission meets August 21 to decide on the 2025-2026 wolf hunting and trapping season regulations proposed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Encourage the governor-appointed board to adopt regulations that are geographically tailored to meet the unique needs of each region in the state, maintain a scientifically sound quota in Region 3 that recognizes the $82 million wolf-watching economy in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and reflect a balanced, moderate, and science-based approach to wildlife management.

The Bridger-Teton National Forest is big, iconic, and wild Wyoming. At 3.4 million acres, it is 15 percent of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, making it the ecosystem’s single-largest block of public land.  The 35-year-old plan that guides how the Bridger-Teton National Forest is managed for future generations is getting a modern update. The Forest Service is accepting comments on the Draft Assessment, and we need you to speak up for the Bridger-Teton by August 22. 

Southwest Montana’s Gallatin and Madison ranges are some of the wildest places left in the continental United States and they are a great source of that quiet and clarity of mind for a lot of folks.  As Montana continues to grow and change rapidly, and our public lands face a new wave of significant threats, we have a duty to make commonsense choices today so that our kids and grandkids can enjoy the way of life we’ve grown accustomed to around here.

On June 28, 2025, Utah Senator Mike Lee withdrew his American public land sell-off plan, which would have sold and privatized millions of acres of public land across 11 western states.

Over the past few weeks, hundreds of you raised your voice to defend a cherished corner of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from private development. The U.S. Forest Service is currently weighing a proposal from Grand Targhee Resort that would allow a significant expansion into the wild, undeveloped Mono Trees and South Bowl areas of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Thanks to your action, the call to protect these public lands is loud and clear.

GYC launches public lands protection campaign.

Right now, members of Congress are working on a plan to sell off our public lands. The very lands that unite us as Americans, that pump billions of dollars into Western states’ economies, and that have been part of our heritage for generations. 

We need you to tell your Senators today that our public lands are NOT for sale. 

Montanans are folks of all kinds – ranchers, farmers, business owners, outdoorspeople, conservationists, and everyone in between. The Montana Legislature is a place where we all come together to make decisions about our home, and whether we agree or not, I see Montanans as folks who can disagree and remain friends. This attitude embodies the Legislature. We wrap up a lively session with a number of critical wins for Montana's lands and wildlife. 

Public lands at risk because the state Legislature is taking steps to weaken Montana’s constitutional right to clean water, air, and land.

Right now, members of Congress are proposing a plan to sell-off our public lands. The very lands that unite us as Americans, that pump billions of dollars into Western states’ economies, and that have been part of our heritage for generations.  

We need you to tell Congress our public lands are NOT for sale.  

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