Our Work to Protect the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Below are some of the threats to the health of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
We are working towards a day when Greater Yellowstone's human and natural communities flourish because people act because they understand the importance of the vitality of the regions natural systems.

Wolves in Greater Yellowstone Finding ways for humans and wolves to coexist outside of Yellowstone Park. [More]

Wild Elk, Feedgrounds and Brucellosis in Wyoming Brucellosis is a disease that is easily transmissible among elk, and bison, particularly when concentrated on feedlots, and can cause infected ungulates to abort their fetuses. [More]

Wyoming Range Legacy Act Introduced! The Wyoming Range has long been a locals playground of recreational opportunities in Western Wyoming, and important habitat for every major species found in Greater Yellowstone. Now, oil and gas interests would like to build roads and pipelines there. [More]

GYC intervenes on behalf of bison The Montana Stockgrowers Association wants to use taxpayer money to force bison off private lands near West Yellowstone, even though owners there welcome the shaggy beast and there are no cattle in the area. GYC is joining those property owners in intervening on the behalf's half in court. Here is our press release of Thursday, Aug. 14: [More]

Yellowstone River Floodplain Protection The Yellowstone River is nationally recognized for its scenic qualities and native trout fisheries. Unfortunately, a slew of rip rap and bank stabilization projects beginning in 1996-97 is turning its banks into something closer to the Ohio Canal. [More]

Oil & Gas Development Around Yellowstone- A Pervasive Threat The national drive for energy is putting Greater Yellowstone's lands at risk of being leased, searched, and drilled for oil and natural gas. From the Wyoming Range in the south, to Caribou Zone in the north, and Clark, Wyoming in the eastern edge of the ecosystem, inappropriate petroleum exploration and production is threatening wildlife, wildlands, and water quality. [More]

Help Stop the Bison Slaughter Bison roam freely in Yellowstone Park, but when they leave the park and enter Montana, they can be hazed, captured, and slaughtered. [More]

Winter Use in Yellowstone Continued snowmobile use in Yellowstone, in light of all we know about the damage it causes, undercuts America's commitment to protect its national parks. [More]

Grizzly Bear Delisting The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has announced that it will recommend the Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear be removed from the protections of the Endangered Species Act later this year. [More]

Roadless Area Conservation Over 4 million acres of roadless national forest lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem provide critical wildlife habitat, clean water and some of the best hunting and fishing in the world. Due to GYC's hard work, and after a court decision in September, these lands will be protected under the 2001 National Forest Roadless Rule, which bars new roadbuilding on national forest lands which don't otherwise have roads. [More]

Phosphate Mining Phosphate mining in Idaho is concentrated in the southeast part of the state, near Idaho Falls, Soda Springs, and Pocatello. Phosphate is the largest industrial mineral produced in Idaho with yields amounting to 12 percent of the nation's total phosphate output. The processed ore is used largely for fertilizer. [More]

Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Plan Revision The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Southwest Montana contains some beautiful-and ecologically important-lands. It provides a connection for wildlife to the Centennial valley and Central Idaho wilderness areas. So when this National Forest announced plans to review how th eland was used, GYC got involved... [More]

Game Farms, Wildlife Disease and Genetics Game farms unnaturally concentrate wildlife, exposing them to greater risk of wildlife diesease. More than that, they game farms hardly promote wild, free-ranging wildlife. [More]

Madison Valley, Montana Collaboration is the way business is done in the Madison. GYC, along with several other conservation organizations, is working with valley ranchers, homeowners, and community leaders to promote conservation, land stewardship, community well-being, and ranching activities in the Madison Valley watershed. Working collaboratively with residents and other stakeholders will produce the best long-term conservation of the Madison Valley’s natural landscape. Currently, we are working with residents on two priority projects: growth management and wildlife. [More]

Idaho’s Roadless Areas at Risk The state of Idaho has more public land and wilderness than any other state in the lower 48. Idaho also has 9.3 million acres of land that is designated as Roadless Areas, land is free from roads and accessed mainly by trails. Idaho's Roadless Areas make up the core of the last intact forest ecosystem in the lower 48 states — where all of the native plants, fish and wildlife — from the smallest plant to the largest predator — can still be found. The Roadless areas of Idaho’s National Forests are of statewide, national and global significance. [More]

Giving Bison Room to Roam to Cutler Meadows [More]

Campaign for the Snake Headwaters The Campaign For the Snake Headwaters – better known by its acronym “C-Fish” – is a visionary effort led by local citizens, businesses, anglers, boaters and conservationists to permanently protect the best remaining free-flowing rivers and streams of northwest Wyoming’s Snake River drainage by including them in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Our primary goal is to convince Congress to pass Wild & Scenic rivers legislation for the Snake Headwaters by the end of 2006. [More]

Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in decline The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (YCT) has long been the aquatic icon of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. But invasive non-native species, disease, and mining activity currently threaten the continued existance of YCT in the wild. [More]

Bozeman Watershed Project-The Right Way or the Wrong Way The Forest Service has proposed a fuels reduction project to help maintain Bozeman's public water supply and reduce fire potential where national forest and private lands meet. [More]

Cody, Wyoming Located on the east side of Greater Yellowstone where the rugged Absaroka Mountains meet the sage brush plains of the Big Horn Basin, Cody, Wyoming is thriving western town in a spectacular natural landscape. With a field office in Cody, GYC is working with business leaders, our members, agencies, and local citizens to protect critical wildlife habitat and broaden local support for a variety of conservation issues. Currently, we are working on three priority issues: Shoshone National Forest Planning, Growth management and reducing human conflicts with grizzly bears. [More]

Chester Diversion Dam Hydroelectric Project In 2001, when a local power company proposed placing two hydroelectric power generating turbines in the lower Henry's Fork GYC and local fishermen feared for the future of this world famous river.  Now, in 2008, a deal has been struck and hope is on the horizon. [More]

Gallatin National Forest Travel Plan The Forest Service is currently finalizing its Travel Management Plan for the Gallatin, which will define how the Forest is used for the next fifteen to twenty years. [More]

Native Fish Protection and Restoration While GYC works tirelessly to protect wild trout fisheries in such legendary waters as the Yellowstone River, Madison River and Henrys Fork, we place a special priority on protecting native fish. [More]

Wyoming's Proposed Wolf Hunt [More]

Become a Friend of the Shoshone Backcountry The Shoshone National Forest is devising a plan for how it will manage lands and water, recreation and industry, and they are seeking input. [More]