2025 SEMI-ANNUAL REPORT
NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Greater Yellowstone is an extraordinary cultural and natural landscape. At the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, it’s our job to keep it that way. Our staff is passionate, collaborative, and innovative—and that’s why we succeed. Hear from our team and learn more about how they’re keeping this ecosystem remarkable.
“I’ve been engaging researchers and community to build interest in studying the Wind River ecosystem within the Reservation. I recently led a multi-day tour with Tribal partners, community, conservation groups, and researchers exploring key sites, sharing cultural knowledge, ecological challenges, and water management. The tour fostered dialogue, relationships, and collaboration for future work.”
COLLEEN FRIDAY (Fort Washakie, Wyoming)
Wind River Conservation Associate
“As conservation director, I support our teams working across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The ‘Idaho way’—collaborating locally with practical, commonsense solutions that protect public lands, safeguard water, and conserve wildlife populations—guides our approach and strengthens our efforts to advance conservation in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.”
KATHY RINALDI (Driggs, Idaho) Director of Conservation
“As part of the Clean Kilgore Coalition, I spearhead GYC’s effort to protect eastern Idaho’s ranchlands and waterways from a gold exploration project in Kilgore. By meeting with motorized recreation advocates, landowners, concerned citizens, and fellow conservationists, I convene people of disparate backgrounds to safeguard this important landscape from toxic mining threats.”
TOM HALLBERG (Driggs, Idaho)
Idaho Conservation Associate
“I’m excited to have joined GYC in April and look forward to growing our staff and conservation efforts in Idaho. I lead our Idaho team on policy, projects, and partnerships that result in durable conservation outcomes for people and wildlife including bear conflict reduction, habitat enhancement, wildlife movement, and public land protection.”
MATT LUCIA (Driggs, Idaho)
Idaho Conservation Manager
Let’s Do More Than Defend Public Lands, Let’s Protect Them
The galvanizing force of public lands is hard to overstate. Seeing all parts of the political spectrum come together in opposition to Congressional efforts to sell American public land is a good reminder of the critically important role these lands play in supporting communities, businesses, and the world-renowned fish and wildlife found in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The demonstration of unified support for public land sent a clear message to our elected congressional leaders in Montana and Idaho, and they deserve credit for opposing the short-sighted and unpopular notion of selling public land.
Of course, the attacks on public land keep coming, with the recent proposal to open millions of acres of pristine American backcountry areas and critical wildlife habitat to development by rescinding the longstanding Roadless Rule. In Greater Yellowstone, protecting public lands and not blasting roads into our favorite backcountry areas is a big deal. Together, we can keep that unified front that makes it crystal clear to decision makers that our public lands are worth protecting.
It’s often said in sports that a good defense is the best offense. In that vein, 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 of life. Fortunately, there are two opportunities right now in southwest Montana to do just that.
First, the Gallatin Forest Partnership, with support from hundreds of businesses, more than 2,500 Montanans, and many local elected officials, has asked the state’s Congressmen to champion the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act. This community-based proposed legislation will forever protect 250,000 acres of our wild backyard in the Gallatin and Madison mountain ranges. The bill protects prized backcountry areas from future development and secures the current recreational footprint, allowing continued access to your favorite trails and forest destinations. At the same time, it creates permanent Wilderness, forever protecting drinking water sources and habitat for iconic wildlife of Greater Yellowstone.
And second, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke recently introduced the Greater Yellowstone Recreation Enhancement and Tourism Act to safeguard the Gallatin and Madison rivers. This bill, introduced in July in the House of Representatives, will protect 100 miles of some of the best trout fishing water anywhere on the planet, and enjoys broad bipartisan support.
With so much on the line for the places that support our way of life, let’s demonstrate our collective love for public lands and show up to protect them. It’s time to not only defend our GREAT public lands and waters, but to lead the way in protecting them. Montana’s Congressmen have two wildly popular opportunities to ensure the lands and rivers that make southwest Montana what it is today remains for generations to come. And that’s the best legacy any of us could ask for.
SCOTT CHRISTENSEN Executive Director
Supporting Working Lands and Wildlife in Western Wyoming
At the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, we know that working lands and wildlife are what make Wyoming what it is—and the two are inseparable.
Ranching remains a vital part of the state’s economy and heritage, while also providing critical habitat and maintaining migration corridors and winter range for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and other iconic big game species.
That’s why GYC is working to ensure that conservation supports landowners and the wildlife with whom they share the land.
A promising tool is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Migratory Big Game Initiative—a program that GYC has championed from the start. Originating from a Wyoming-led vision, this initiative provides voluntary, incentive-based conservation funding for ranchers and landowners.
GYC helps interested landowners access this funding by connecting them with the right partners, guiding them through the application process, and pursuing additional
projects that, while outside federal eligibility, still provide immense benefits for wildlife and local communities.
This year alone, the USDA committed $21 million to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming to protect big game migrations through voluntary stewardship practices on private working lands. The results are already impressive: more than 287,000 acres enrolled in habitat leases and over 500,000 acres of habitat improvements.
In July, we welcomed Governor Mark Gordon on a hosted tour with local ranchers, partners, and distinguished guests to four Absaroka Front ranches in partnership with the East Yellowstone Collaborative. The tour showcased how this federal funding is keeping lands open and wildlife habitat intact.
As GYC’s Senior Wyoming Conservation Associate Erin Welty shared, “the Migratory Big Game Initiative has provided essential funding for range improvements to landowners in priority areas who already provide suitable habitat for our wildlife.
Without continued support for these funds, we risk the loss of not only our large agricultural parcels, but critical habitat for iconic wildlife species.”
The projects supported are as practical as they are effective: wildlife-friendly fence modification to ease migration barriers, invasive weed treatments to maintain habitat quality, and conservation easements and habitat leasing programs to improve connectivity.
Producers can also receive annual payments that acknowledge the critical role they play in maintaining habitat.
Importantly, the program acknowledges the tremendous migratory big game populations of the Wind River Indian Reservation. GYC is working to increase awareness of the program’s funding opportunities among Tribal producers and helping those interested to sign up.
These efforts are designed to strengthen working lands and the wildlife that depend on them.
“We have an incredible opportunity here to continue to cross boundaries and work together on big game migration,” Governor Gordon said during the tour. “The success from these landowner-focused initiatives is evident.”
GYC will continue to bring landowners, state and federal agencies, and Tribal partners together to identify opportunities and deliver solutions across the ecosystem. The recent expansion of the program into Idaho and Montana shows what’s possible when conservation is collaborative, voluntary, and prioritizes both people and wildlife.
With your support and with the help of the WYldlife Fund’s Pooled Migration Fund, GYC remains committed to advancing the Big Game Migration Initiative by finding solutions that sustain wildlife, their habitats, and the ranchers who steward them.
We are dedicated to ensuring that Greater Yellowstone’s ranching heritage and the migrations of elk, deer, and pronghorn remain defining features of this landscape for generations to come. 5
Photos: (L) Gov. Gordon speaks with partners, © GYC/Emmy Reed
(R) Horses on working land along the Absaroka Front, © GYC/Emmy Reed
Standing Up for Public Lands
For 10 months, protecting America’s public lands—your public lands—has been at the center of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s efforts.
At the end of June, we celebrated when Utah Senator Mike Lee withdrew his public land sell-off plan, which would have sold and privatized millions of acres of public land across 11 western states. This decision is a huge bipartisan win for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and shows the incredible uniting power of our public lands. Thank you to the more than 12,000 GYC advocates who have spoken up for public lands so far this year!
Seeing all parts of the political spectrum come together in opposition to Congressional efforts to sell public land is a good reminder of the critically important role these lands play in supporting communities, businesses, and the world-renowned fish and wildlife found in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
The demonstration of such unified support for public land sent a clear message to our elected congressional leaders in Montana and Idaho, and they deserve credit for
opposing the short-sighted and unpopular notion of selling or transferring public land.
Unfortunately, the attacks on public land keep coming. In August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed rescinding the 25-year-old Roadless Rule, which would open more than 45 million acres of remote, wild, and roadless forests across our country to industrial development like large-scale commercial logging, oil-and-gas drilling, and associated road building. These lands are the source of our drinking water, home to iconic wildlife, and the heart of our outdoor recreation heritage. The repeal puts all of this and more at risk.
While we await a decision from the USDA on rescinding the Roadless Rule, we want to say thank you. We called on you again to speak up for public lands, and thousands of you acted. Your continued support allows us to continue standing up for public lands.
Sign our public lands petition to stay up to date on next steps!
Photos: (Top) Upper Green Lake, U.S. Forest Service (Bottom) Mountains in the Wind River Range, U.S. Forest Service
SCAN ME!
Safeguarding Iconic Mountain Ranges in Southwest Montana
Flying above the Gallatin and Madison ranges in a Cessna 206 on a September morning, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition as part of the Gallatin Forest Partnership called on Montana’s elected leaders to introduce federal legislation that will forever protect 250,000 acres of public land in the Madison and Gallatin ranges.
As GYC staff sat alongside partners and press, surveying the peaks, valleys, rivers, and streams below, they shared the vision of the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act through headsets—a vision that has been supported by more than 2,500 hikers, bikers, hunters, anglers, business owners, landowners, and more.
Montana is changing, fast. The threats to our public lands and iconic wildlife who
rely on them are real, and ongoing, and the need to protect them is more urgent than ever. This year, we’ve watched the Montana Congressional Delegation stand up for public lands. We see the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act as a continuation of that.
The Gallatin Forest Partnership is calling on Montana’s congressional delegation to continue to stand up for public lands, our way of life, and for our kids and grandkids, and introduce the Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act.
Please visit lovegyc.org/GYCRA to learn more about this work!
Photos: The Gallatin and Madison mountain ranges, © Louise Johns A bull elk, NPS / Neal Herbert
Conserving Montana’s Renowned Rivers
Montana is home to some of the finest rivers in the country. The Madison and Gallatin rivers are central to Montana’s identity and economy. Their clean, cold waters support farms and ranches, provide drinking water, offer world-class recreation, sustain fish and wildlife, and shape the communities that have grown around them.
But Montana is changing, and these treasured waterways face increased risk. Population growth, development in river valleys, a changing climate, and pressure on water resources threaten the waters Montanans and millions downstream depend on. That’s why we worked with U.S. Congressman Ryan Zinke this summer to introduce the Greater Yellowstone Recreation Enhancement and Tourism Act—legislation that aims to protect
nearly 100 miles of the Madison and Gallatin rivers, as well as key tributaries, with Wild and Scenic River designations.
Protecting these rivers means sustaining outdoor recreation economies built on tourism, fishing, and floating; securing clean, reliable water for communities, agriculture, and ecosystems; protecting wildlife habitat and biodiversity along rivers; and preserving the character of Montana’s communities and landscapes.
This vision for long-term river protection builds on years of community conversations, scientific study, and broad coalition input led by GYC and our partners. Your continued support helps keep Montana’s rivers clean, cold, and wild.
Keeping Grizzly Bears Wild and People Safe
For more than 40 years, GYC has worked to ensure grizzly bears thrive across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Grizzlies face increasing pressure from habitat loss, human conflicts, and political influence—that’s why we’re focused on advocating for science-based policies, preventing conflicts, and building partnerships that help keep bears wild and people safe.
This summer, your support made a real difference. In Wyoming, we helped expand carcass removal efforts, supported volunteer ambassadors on the Shoshone National Forest to educate visitors on bear safety, and funded research testing innovative technology for reducing risk of grizzly depredations on livestock.
In Idaho, we partnered with Teton County to support implementation of the county’s bear-conflict reduction ordinance—including
public education, bear-proof trash access, and stronger planning tools—and supported Idaho Fish and Game’s monitoring and outreach programs that build social tolerance for grizzlies.
And in Montana, we upgraded community trash sites with bear-resistant dumpsters, invested in on-the-ground livestock conflict prevention via range rider programs, and partnered with researchers to study bearcattle interactions in working landscapes.
Across Greater Yellowstone, we’re partnering with all five national forests to protect grizzlies by installing bear-resistant food storage containers at campgrounds and decommissioning old or illegal roads. Each mile of road restored creates 400 acres of secure bear habitat. Thanks to your support, we’re helping people and bears thrive together on shared landscapes.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
We are so grateful to all of you who support us. All gifts, no matter the amount, help advance our work. Due to limited space, we are only able to recognize donors who gave $1,000 or more from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025.
Elaine and Hirschel Abelson
Karen and Richard Allen
Brooke D. Anderson
Julie and Hannibal Anderson
Rita and Tom Anderson
Stephen and Kathy Anderson
Anonymous
Betsy Armstrong
Karin and Jeff
Armstrong
Mike and Sue Arneson
Janet Arnold
Diana Bailey
Timothy Baker
Doris Barnard
The Estate of Thomas Clark Baugher
Beagle Charitable Foundation
Noel Bennett
Colette Daigle-Berg and Bill Berg
Warren Bergholz
Peter Boerma
Glenn Borkenhagen
James P. Bourgeois
Jennifer and Chris Boyer
Eleanor Briggs
The Brodsky Charitable Foundation Trust
Jane and Jeff Brune
Jeff Bruninga
Mary and Alan Brutger
Beth Burrough and David Ramsay
Terrain Legal, PC
Patrick Callaghan
Carolina Mary Capehart Living Trust
Whitney Hable and Giordi Caponigro
Amy and Walter Carpenter
Edward Castleberry
Mr. and Mrs. Doug Caton
Theresa Cederholm
Charles L. and Polly Anceney Gallatin
Valley Endowment of Montana Community Foundation
Anne Childs
Beverly and William Chitwood
Frances Clark and Bernie McHugh
Jan and Fritz Clark
Charlotte and David Cleveland
Jennene Colky
Community Foundation of Jackson
Hole
Ann Cornell
Cornell Douglas Foundation
Dorothy and David Courtis
Pamela Coyle-Toerner
Eva Crane
Creighton University Cross Charitable Foundation
Daphne Chester and Kevin Crowe
Judy and Mark Cunningham
Peggy and Kirk Davenport
Joe Davidson
Brenda and Swep Davis
Claire Davis
Terry and Christina Dawson
John Lee and Jessica DeBruin
Defenders of Wildlife
Marie and David Delich
Willard L. Eccles Foundation
Joseph Dorn
Missy and JD Doyle
Sandy and Charles Drimal
Catherine A. Drook
Nicole Friend and Gar Duke
Peggy Dulany
Anne S. Duncan
Jennifer Durning and Geoff Tennican
Eaglemere Foundation
Earth Friends
Eastern Shoshone Business Council
Judy and Charlie Eaton
Jo Ann Eder
Gloria and Ross Edwards
Lisa and Hal Eisenacher
Nancy and Daniel Engel
Nancy A. Erman
Jane Erwine and John DiMarco
Andrea Eschen
Jo Ann and Robert Etter
Ever Loved, Inc.
Paula Cleary and Paul Farrell
Elsa and George Feher (of blessed memory)
Brooke Feister
Anne and Charles Ferrell
Kathy Firchow and Thomas Laurion
Peter Fitzpatrick
Theodore Forsberg
Deborah and David Fosdick
Audrey Fishman and Andrew Franklin
Beth and Tom Gadsden
Keelin Kelly and Michael Gadsden
Janice Gingerich
Laurie and David Gissy
John Giurgevich
Barbara and Jerome Glickman
Donna and Jack Glode
David Gomberg
Sandra Brooke Gordon
Peggy and James Graeter
Nicholas Grant
Pria Graves
Grayson Family Foundation
Connie Grisell
Kitty Griswold and Scott Bergen
Craig Groves
Jane and Bill Gum
Kay and James Guyette
Sherry Guzzi
Lee Halford
Kniffy and Larry Hamilton
Edward R. & Cathy M. Hammer
Michelle and Larry Harmsen
Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Hart, III
Cynthia and Martin Heckscher
Linda and Lee
Hegstrand
Dr. June Heilman
Kathryn Heminway
John Heminway, Jr.
Chuck Hendricks
Carolyn and Scott Heppel
Susan Hinkins
Holdfast Collective
Kimberly Stewart and George Howard, Jr.
Maryann and Tom Jalkut
Robert James
Minette and Wynn Jessup
Charles M. Fink and Leonard C. Jones
Steven and Carolyn Jones Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Cynthia Stewart Kaag and Donald Bricker Kaag
Julie and Casey Kaptur
KARIS Foundation
Kaufman Family Foundation
Laura Keith
Michele and Robbie Keith
Kelsall Family
Paulette and David Kessler
Keta Legacy Foundation
Gail and Ken Kinard
Mr. and Mrs. William B. King, King Family Advised Fund of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Knobloch Family Foundation
Erik Knutson Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
Alec and Lee Koch
Carter Kohlmeyer
Krejsa Family Foundation
Joe Albright and Marcia Kunstel Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
Sidney Kurth
The Kurtz Family Foundation
Beedee Ladd
Craig Landon
Robert and Dee Leggett Foundation
Kathy and Ken Lichtendahl
Barbara Linthicum
Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation
Ted Lovec
Catie Malone and Edward Ryan
Adrienne and John Mars
Jan and Steven Martin
Nancy and Sandy Martin
Dr. Carolyn J. Matthews and Dr. David A. Matthews
The Matthews Family Foundation
Maryanne and Tim Mayeda
Lisa and Randy McAllister
Mike and Betsy McCall
Helen McCartyHilliard Fund at One Valley Community Foundation
June and Michael McCollister
Cynthia McCollum and John Spellman
KPSM Charitable Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation
Cara McGary
James McGowan
Nancy and John McMillan
Mennen
Environmental Foundation
Kathy and Peter Metcalf
Barbara Meyer
Louis Miles
Marilyn Miller
Susan and John Mills
Minnesota Zoo Foundation
Stephanie and John Minteer
Dwight Minton
William Moliski
Montana Outdoor Legacy Foundation
John Moore
Arikha Moses
Maryanne Mott
Jim Munoz
Linda and Reid
Murchison, III
Barbara Francis and Robert Musser
Kathleen and George Myers
Richard Napier
National Park Service
Jeanne and Jon Nauman
Virginia W. Naylor and James Potter, Jr.
Hortensia Chang and John Nelson
Janet and Wesley Nelson
Rebecca Cheek and Walter Nelson
Evelyn B. Newell
Antje and Paul Newhagen Foundation of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Suzi Hill and Eric Noreen
William Oberdorfer
Janet and David Offensend
Janet and William E. O’Neil and the O’Neil Foundation
Donna and Jim Onstott
Robin and Ed Orazem
G.O. Forward Charitable Trust
Mary Beth and Charlie O’Reilly Family Foundation
Michele and Samuel Osborne
Annette and Noah
Osnos
Trina and Mike Overlock, Jr.
Betty and Walt Parks
Donna and Michael Patrick
Rebecca Patton and Tom Goodrich
The Gregory A. Pavelka Irrevocable Trust
Lynn Foxx Pease and Dave Pease
Pew Charitable Trusts
Anna J. Gunnarsson
Pfeiffer and Leonard Pfeiffer, IV
Buzz and Carolyn Pierce Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
Virginia and Steve Pollack
Megan Sheetz and Trevor Price
Joann Ragni
Molly Raiser
Andrea Rankin
Barbara Giuffre and Richard Raushenbush
Kim and Larry Rea
Harold W. Sweatt Foundation
Paul Reichel
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Carol and Donald Roberts
Daniel Robinson
The Michael G. Nast Foundation
Robert Roemer
Leslie Rohrkaste
Suzanne Bonner
Romatowski and Peter Romatowski
Terry and Bert Romberg Philanthropic Fund of the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation
Bernard and Maryanne Roth
Rosemary O’Brien and Eigil Rothe
Kathy Roush
Rural Action Fund
Carol and Robert Scallan
Carrie and Jerry
Scheid
Kuni and Michael Schmertzler
Ulrich SchmidMaybach
The Estate of Marilyn Schrader
Denise Hayman and Michael Scott
Sue and Howard Selmer
Julie Mueller and Donald Sharaf
Lindsay and Anu Sharma
The Diane and Stuart Sharp Charitable Fund of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
Bonnie and Jim Shaw
Marian Kummer and Mark Sheiko
The Estate of Peter Sheldon
Charlotte Shifrin Shipley Foundation, Inc.
Charlotte Shropshire
Lucretia M. Sias
Joan Leydon and John Siff
Sandy and Denny Simonson
Laura and Doug Skidmore
Mimi and Ben Slater
Elizabeth Smaha
Catherine Smith
William F. Smith
Fanwood Foundation
West
Sharon Solomon
William J. Sowter
James Spencer
Jane and David Spencer
Spencer Family Foundation
April and Peter Spiro
Pamela Stallings
Georgie Stanley and The Stanley Family Fund
D. Curtis Starr, Jr.
Sara Strang and Robert Steinwurtzel
Betsy and Ralph Stephens
Susan Quarles and Geoffrey Stephens
Dr. and Mrs. Peter Stern
Gordon Stevenson
Justin and Brett Stevenson
Marilyn and Louis Stoddard
Joan and Mark Strobel
Robin and Sandy Stuart Foundation
Gloria and Bill Stuble
Daphne Crosbie and Jack Stults
Anna and Stephen Sullivan
Linda Summers
Catherine Symchych
Janet and John
Tangney
Mary Taylor
Teel’s Marsh Foundation
The Edna Wardlaw Charitable Trust
The Enrico Foundation
The Harder Foundation
The Scoob Trust Foundation
The Volgenau Foundation
The Wilderness Society
The WYldlife Fund
Kirk Thomas
Thomas O. Brown Foundation
Deborah Thompson
McHenry and Lisa Tichenor Fund of Communities Foundation of Texas
Tortuga Charitable Foundation
Kelly and Leonard Trout
Karen Uhlenbeck and Robert Williams
Amy and Stephen Unfried
J. Gary O. Van Dyke
Peter Vanderwolf
EcoTrust
Courtney Walker
Diana and Mallory Walker
Jeannie Wall
Putnam Foundation
Washakie Foundation
Nancy E. Watters and Stephen B. Sayre
Weeden Foundation
Lawrence Weinberg
Lisette C. Weishaupt
Heidi Wendel
Barbara and Dan Wenk
Western Colorado Community Foundation/Peter Bergh Fund
Barbara A. White
The Hugh David and Dana White
Family Fund A, a donor-advised fund of the Greater Toledo Community Foundation
Melinda and James Wiebush Wilburforce Foundation
Wild Montana
Charles W. Wilkinson
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The Donald J. Slavik
Family Foundation
Jennifer and Charlie Wilson
Wind River Tribal
Buffalo Initiative
Fred and Eleanor Winston- The Longview Foundation
Thomas and Shasta
Winston-The Longview Foundation
Doreen Wise
Wolfensohn Family Foundation
Marion Wong
Levi Wood
Dr. Chick Woodward
Chris Wright
Sandy and Robert Young
Valarie Zupsan
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