Yellowstone
GYC, USFS partner for bear-safe campgrounds
Published
9 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersGREATER YELLOWSTONE COALITION
BOZEMAN – Millions of visitors who camp and picnic in national forests in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem can sleep more soundly this summer.
A new partnership between the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the U.S. Forest Service will upgrade Forest Service campgrounds across the region with bear-management related features. Over the next three years the GYC and USFS will install bear-safe food storage containers and informative kiosks at 164 campgrounds as funding and resources allow.
“The conservation of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone has the potential to be a remarkable success story, a shining example of how people and wildlife can exist together in harmony,” said Caroline Byrd, Executive Director of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition.
Officials estimate more than 700 adult grizzly bears roam the 20 million acres of the Greater Yellowstone. Surrounding Yellowstone National Park, the ecosystem includes the Gallatin-Custer, Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Shoshone, Caribou-Targhee, and Bridger-Teton national forests. There are 164 USFS-developed campgrounds on those forests, each with numerous campsites.
“A simple fact of grizzly conservation is that ‘a fed bear is a dead bear,’” said Garth Smelser, Forest Supervisor of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. “We know from our experiences in the Greater Yellowstone area these kinds of campground improvements have positive consequences for grizzlies and the public.”
Wildlife learning that campgrounds are a source of food can result in wildlife mortality and a serious safety concern for people, according to Chris Colligan, GYC’s Wildlife Program Coordinator.
“From chipmunks to grizzly bears, everyone is better off when wildlife focus on their natural food sources,” Colligan said. “These campground upgrades make camping easier, while informing visitors who may not know the importance of proper food storage.”
The effort is projected to cost $900,000 to meet the needs of the 164 campgrounds. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition has raised $250,000 for the project from its donors, and these resources are combined with matching grants and federal funding from the USFS.
The GYC/USFS containers are manufactured in Cody, Wyo., and tested by the captive bears at West Yellowstone’s Grizzly Discovery Center.
Forest Service crews are in the process of installing the bins over the course of the next few months at campgrounds throughout the five national forests in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
“We all enjoy hiking, sightseeing and camping in Yellowstone as well as the surrounding national forests,” said U.S. Senator from Montana Jon Tester. “These investments in bear-safe bins will protect people and support the recovery of grizzly bears throughout the Greater Yellowstone.”
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Everyone is invited to join us in celebrating 2 years of arts education in the BASE Art Studio with us! Take a tour
Event Details
Everyone is invited to join us in celebrating 2 years of arts education in the BASE Art Studio with us! Take a tour of the studio, meet our instructors, and meet other artists of all levels in our community. We’ll be getting creative and you’ll have the chance to make your very own artful button pin.
Stick around for our Volunteer Appreciation and Social beginning at 6:30 p.m.!
Time
(Thursday) 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Location
BASE
285 Simkins Dr