WATERS WILDLIFE

2020 VICTORIES!

Thanks to your support, we continue to meet our mission of protecting the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations. We do this across more than 20 million acres, three states, and two national parks.

16,600 acres of sheep grazing paused for 10 years in Montana, reducing conflicts in key grizzly bear habitat.

STATE AFFECTED =

1 Gold Mine

on the southern slope of the Centennial Ranges slowed through our successful lawsuit.

STATE AFFECTED =

1 Huge Victory

when the Montana Supreme Court revoked a mining permit in Paradise Valley and ruled in our favor, confirming the state legislature violated Montanans’ rights to a “clean and healthful environment.”

337 River Miles

poised for protection with the introduction of the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act into the U.S. Senate.

STATE AFFECTED =

400 Bison

will be saved from slaughter each year through a new partnership to expand Yellowstone’s program that restores bison to tribal and select public lands.

STATES AFFECTED =

400,000

Dollars

privately raised and then matched to secure the final funding needed for the Dry Piney Wildlife Crossing project on Highway 189 in Wyoming. This project will reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by up to 90 percent.

STATE AFFECTED = STATE AFFECTED =

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator - for the fourth year in a row - for its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances. This indicates the Greater Yellowstone Coalition executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way and outperforms most other charities in America.

CHARITY NAVIGATOR IS THE NATION’S LARGEST EVALUATOR OF CHARITIES. THEY PROVIDE RATINGS FOR OVER 5,000 AMERICAN CHARITIES BASED ON FINANCIAL HEALTH, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TRANSPARENCY.

SCOTT CHRISTENSEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Greater Yellowstone is bustling with new life this spring as grizzly bear cubs emerge from hillside dens, little red bison calves chase each other through greening meadows, and gangly baby moose follow their mothers through the willows. It’s a busy time for GYC too, with exciting activities and initiatives that will propel us forward for years to come.

In early January we launched a process to update our Strategic Plan. Scheduled for completion and adoption this June, our new plan will provide us with an ambitious set of priorities and goals to protect Greater Yellowstone over the next five years. Thinking in big, new, creative ways has been an exhilarating practice and is a great reminder of what an important role we play in ensuring the wild heart of North America remains remarkable for generations to come.

We are also engaged in one of the most important initiatives of our time: a concerted effort to make GYC and the conservation movement more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. This commitment has led us to partner with Indigenous communities and tribes with ties to Greater Yellowstone on important issues such as restoring bison to ancestral homelands. Our intention is to listen and learn as we deepen our relationships and support the rights and interests of Native people. We are thrilled to have a great Native leader in a new position on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, who you can learn more about in this annual report.

As we look back on 2020, GYC had another amazing year of victories thanks to supporters like you. As the weather warms, we are anxious to get to a new normal after the pandemic and spend time in nature with people we love. I hope to see you out there on the trails. Thank you for supporting our work as we continue to lead the way in protecting Greater Yellowstone, now and for future generations.

License Plate Supports Gyc

We are pleased to report our Montana license plate, introduced in 2017 and sold through the Montana Department of Motor Vehicles, has generated $39,040 to help fund our work.