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

To be good neighbors and stewards of this ecosystem, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition is working in Montana and Wyoming to create wildlife-friendly fences. In 2024, GYC supported 11 fencing projects that removed or modified more than 16 miles of fence! 

This summer, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, hosted the first of a series of meetings to bring information to producers on the reservation about programs that support agriculture and wildlife. 

On November 7, 2024, the Wyoming State Board of Land Commissioners with a 3-2 vote approved the sale of the 640-acre Kelly Parcel to Grand Teton National Park. The $100 million sale will benefit Wyoming public schools and ensure this spectacular piece of land is public for Wyomingites and visitors to enjoy.

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.

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.

GYC and the WYldlife Fund teamed up to raise $2.7 million in donations to help keep people safe and wildlife alive along U.S. Highway 26 in Wyoming. This substantial fundraising effort will strengthen the state’s application as it competes for highly competitive federal grant funds.  

Virtual fencing is an up-and-coming technology designed to reduce labor for livestock producers, enhance rangeland health, and potentially reduce the number of fences crisscrossing the private and public grazing lands around the world.

Big win for Wyoming wildlife! The Kelly Parcel is approved for direct sale to the Grand Teton National Park for $100 million with the passage of Wyoming’s biennium budget bill.  

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.

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