Greater Yellowstone Coalition Inc.

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) was founded in 1983 with a mission to work with all people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), now and for future generations. We have emerged as a nationally known advocate for the idea that ecosystem level sustainability and science should guide the management of the region's public and private lands. This vast ecosystem includes twenty million acres of wild country that includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, parts of six national forests, three national wildlife refuges, and state and private lands in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. The GYE is a place of exceptional natural splendor and profound cultural and ecological importance. Rich habitat for an astounding array of fish and wildlife abounds here, from grizzly bears and bison to cutthroat trout and wolverines. It is the headwaters of America’s great rivers, supplying clean water for 60 million people downstream. Its sweeping vistas and stunning geothermal features attract and inspire millions of residents and visitors alike. It is sacred ground to 49 Indigenous Tribes. Those who live here – and those who visit – know there is no place like it in the world. At GYC, we tackle the complex challenges facing the region by: • protecting key public and private lands, • working at the human-wildlife nexus to balance the needs of both, • making Greater Yellowstone a global model for resilience to the impacts of climate change, and • supporting the rights, interests, and conservation priorities of Greater Yellowstone’s Indigenous people.

We envision a Greater Yellowstone where wild nature flourishes; plant, animal, and human communities thrive in reciprocity; and all people work together to conserve this globally significant ecosystem.

Goal One: Secure land management policies and designations for key public and private lands that protect core habitat for wide-ranging wildlife and enhance landscape connectivity.

Goal Two: Secure and defend state and federal policies that benefit wildlife with priority given to achieving our goals for conflict reduction, connectivity, secure habitat, and funding for conservation.

Goal Three: Protect and restore Indigenous conservation priorities that honor cultural landscapes, Tribal rights, and Tribal ways of life.

Our goal is to attract and retain the best staff in the field. We are committed to effective leadership at all levels of the organization and will provide accessible and equitable paths for ongoing professional development and training. We also aim to diversify our staff as we grow the movement and bring a wider range of experiences and perspectives into the organization. Both of GYC’s Wind River Conservation Organizers, Signa McAdams, and Colleen Friday, are participating in this year’s cohort of the University of Wyoming’s Collaboration Program in Natural Resources, which focuses on building skills around collaboration, facilitation, and negotiation. In addition, Colleen attended the July 2023 Wyoming Native American Education Conference as part of her outreach work to reservation school staff and to make new connections with some presenters. And Signa received a full scholarship to the University of Vermont in their master’s in leadership for sustainability fellowship.

In times of rapid change, innovation and adaptability must be central features of our culture and programmatic strategy. This requires a willingness to support each other in thinking differently, taking risks, and acting boldly. After years of conversations, dogged advocacy, months of behind-the-scenes negotiations, the most urgent and ambitious fundraising campaign the Greater Yellowstone Coalition has ever undertaken - we did it, we extinguished the last viable gold mining threat along Yellowstone National Park’s border. On September 25, 2023 we officially hit our fundraising target (meaning all $6.25 million was in our bank). The campaign, which was launched publicly on May 11, 2023 came after GYC reached an agreement with Crevice Mining Group, LLC, to purchase the mineral rights, leases, and claims to 1,598 acres of land on Crevice Mountain. Through negotiations with the mining company, GYC created a win-win solution to stop the mine that allowed the company to walk away from the project before the damage was done and the land to be forever protected from industrial gold mining.