Advocating for Sound Wildlife Policies

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is home to the largest concentration of mammals in the contiguous United States. Robust populations of grizzly bear, bison, wolves, elk, mule deer, and pronghorn roam the landscape, keeping the region balanced, resilient, and wild.

The ecosystem encompasses parts of three states and contains two national parks, five national forests, and patchwork of other Tribal, federal, state, and private lands. The lands of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem – and the wildlife that call this place home – are managed by a multitude of agencies and entities at every scope and scale of policymaking. The sheer number of agencies and managers makes cohesive ecosystem management difficult in Greater Yellowstone; competing priorities and interests, differing attitudes about conservation, and animals moving across political boundaries all contribute to the complexity of wildlife management within Greater Yellowstone.

To protect and restore healthy populations of wildlife like grizzly bears, bison, elk, and other species big and small, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition works to advance sound policies across multiple states, agencies, and levels of government. GYC monitors and participates in a range of planning processes, builds and maintains key partnerships with advocates and decision makers, and helps lay the groundwork for communities to coexist with wildlife long into the future.

How we’re advocating for sound policies:

Every two years in Wyoming and annually in Idaho and Montana, the respective state legislatures meet and consider legislation that impacts Greater Yellowstone wildlife. GYC’s advocacy team keeps a watchful eye – monitoring wildlife bills as they progress through the legislatures, working with partners to coordinate engagement strategies, providing testimony in hearings, and asking our supporters to speak up and take action.

State wildlife agencies play a significant role in shaping wildlife policy and management in Greater Yellowstone. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition engages with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Idaho Fish and Game, and their respective commissions throughout scoping and planning processes to ensure outcomes that protect and sustain wildlife now and for future generations.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem contains vast swaths of federal lands, managed by agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and National Park Service. These public lands are vital for wildlife. We work in partnerships and coalitions with other nonprofits and our ecosystem-based supporters to advocate for management priorities and practices that protect Greater Yellowstone wildlife.

Sharing the landscape with some of the nation’s most awe-inspiring wildlife does not come without challenges. Living alongside large, powerful animals like elk, moose, bison, and grizzly bears can pose risks to safety, impact livelihoods, and cause property damage – all of which can decrease the public’s tolerance for free-ranging wildlife. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition works with communities across the ecosystem to identify coexistence challenges and develop community-centered solutions that keep people safe, property intact, and wildlife wild.

The state of Wyoming is characterized by abundant wildlife, sweeping valleys, jagged peaks, and cold, free-flowing rivers. To help conserve and enhance natural resources in the state, the Wyoming State Legislature, with support from GYC and others, created the highly successful Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust (WWNRT) to help maintain open space, preserve and improve habitat, reduce wildlife-livestock conflict, and more. When fully funded, WWNRT has $200 million to put toward projects protective of Wyoming’s vital natural resources. This fund is an innovative approach to conserving the state’s public and private lands for generations to come.

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