Our Work in Previous Years:

Our Work in 2022!

1.January 20, 2022, GWA submitted comments to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission on the matter of setting hunting regulations for elk and black bear.

2. GWA has joined several other NGOs in a letter to Secretary Vilsack over the needless slaughter of wolves on public land in and around Yellowstone National Park on January 19, 2022.

3. In relation to the above, GWA wrote and submitted their own letter to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission over the issue of trapping and hunting of wolves on January 21, 2022.

4. On January 29, 2022, GWA wrote another letter to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission complaining on the lack of potential to submit comments during their official hearing that month.

5. GWA has a result of ongoing litigation over the approved expansion of using treated waste water to make snow at the Yellowstone Club ski area submitted comments to DEQ on February 3, 2022.

6. On a related subject, GWA also submitted comments to DEQ over the proposed action to revert backwards and use a narrative standard to report nutrient pollution rather than the existing numeric standard.

7. In another ongoing litigation effort, GWA submitted scoping comments to the Bridger Teton National Forest (BTNF) in objection to the actions of Wyoming Game and Fish to continue and further their artificial feeding of elk on BTNF public land.

8. On February 26, 2022, GWA submitted scoping comments on the issue of the Bison Management Plan in Yellowstone National Park.

9. On March 10, 2020, GWA submitted comments in objection to the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest on the Greenhorn Vegetation Treatment Plan in the Gravelly Mountains.

10. Finally, GWA submitted comments on Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission attempt to increase the take on mountain lions and peregrine falcon by making changes to the hunting regulations. Comments submitted on March 17, 2022.

11. On March 20, 2022, GWA submitted comments to the U.S. Congressional House Subcommittee on the Environment in support of testimony of Dr. Dominick Dellasala in regard to U.S. Forest Service policy of forest management and climate change effects upon those forests. We suggested the USFS needs to change their paradigm and address the science that our forests are a source and a force to mitigate climate change.

12. GWA provided oral testimony to the Montana Water Policy Interim Committee on April 5, 2022 strongly in support of allowing the Gallatin River and Madison River to be designated as Outstanding Resource Water.

13. Responding to a request from Friends of the Bitterroot, GWA provided comments to the Bitterroot National Forest over the proposed Bitterroot Front Project. Comments were submitted on May 19. This project is one of the worst timber projects we've seen in several years.

14. GWA submitted comments to the Custer Gallatin National Forest on May 27th over the proposed management of East Rosebud Creek as being listed under the Wild and Scenic River Act.

15. On June 10, GWA submitted comments to the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining on Senate Bill 3709, a bill which threatens to degrade forest in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

16.GWA held a membership and public meeting on June 30, 2022 with guest speakers in Bozeman, MT.

17. After the flooding in Yellowstone National Park, (June 20, 2022) GWA submitted comments to the National Park Service and Cam Sholly, Superintendent of Yellowstone N.P. to relocate the Gardiner Road away and out of the the Gardiner River Canyon.

18. On July 20, 2022, GWA submitted comments to the Dept. of Environmental Quality over the petition to declare the Gallatin River water quality impaired.

19. On the same date, GWA also submitted comments to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission over the proposal to alter the wolf harvest limits on wolves along and near Yellowstone National Park.

20. For the trifecta, GWA submitted comments to the stockholders of Wyoming and Wyoming Game and Fish Department to phase out the artificial elk feedgrounds on the Bridger Teton National Forests.

21. GWA submitted a supporting statement on July 27, 2022 over the inclusion of an amendment for the Montana Democratic Platform Convention to support the designation of Wilderness Study Areas as true Wilderness, Wilderness with a capital "W".

22. On Aug. 2, 2022, GWA along with Montana Rivers and Cottonwood Environmental Law Center attended a settlement hearing in Butte, Montana to mediate litigation of the Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peaks and Boyne Corporation over pollution in the West Fork of the Gallatin River.

23. On Aug. 5, 2022, GWA answered the call and submitted comments to the Federal Register to define Mature and "Old Growth Forests" as a result of the Executive Order 14072.

24. GWA joined Cottonwood Environmental Law Center in a "Weed Pull" at the "M" Trailhead on the Custer Gallatin National Forests.

25. On Aug. 7, 2022, GWA submitted comments the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forests on the Objection Process over the matter of the Greenhorn Vegetation Process.

26. On Aug. 15, 2022, GWA submitted comments on a more local issue, the expansion of Fowler Avenue within the City Limits of Bozeman. Our efforts here are trying to protect a corridor of mature cottonwood trees along an undeveloped piece of land within the City Limits. The area is being developed for a highway extension, but we see this parcel of land being more worthy as a park and wildlife habitat.

27. In order to provide support for the American Prairie to graze bison on public land, GWA once again submitted a letter to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle as Guest Opinion. Submitted on Sept. 12, it was published on Sept. 18. That letter was also sent to other newspapers across the state.

28. A long-time issue gained new public recognition concerning the issue of water rights of Lyman Creek north and east of Bozeman. The charge is that the city plans to dewater Lyman Creek in order to provide water for growth in the City of Bozeman. The landowners state they want to preserve the riparian habitat for fisheries and wildlife. GWA submitted comments to the City Commissioners in a letter dated October 21 urging that they leave enough water in the creek for habitat.

29. GWA submitted comments to the Custer Gallatin National Forest over the South Plateau Landscape Area Treatment Project, lands that border Yellowstone National Park.

30. On Dec. 10, GWA submitted comments over the issue of the East Crazy Inspiriation Divide Land Exchange involving lands in the Crazy Mountains and the Big Sky area.

31. On Dec. 12, GWA submitted comments through the Montana Wildlife Federation over the proposed South Otter Project in the Ashland Ranger District on the CGNF.

32. GWA submitted comments to the Idaho Transportation Department concerning wildlife corridor function along U.S. Hwy 20 from the SH 87 to Ashton, Idaho of eastern Idaho, the Island Park area on Dec. 21, 2022.

Our Work in 2021!

1. This will provide you a scope of the threats that wildlife face as a result of our legislative session in Helena, 2021. GWA has or is in the process of commenting on those listed below and others to come. Rather than list everyone of the bills we have commented on, suffice it to say, there are many. All of the bills listed above, GWA has responded to in one form or another. We're sure there will be more to come!

2. In mid-January, GWA commented on the proposed scoping notice for helicopter skiing operation on the Caribou Targhee National Forest in the Centennial Mountains.

3. On January 23, GWA commented to the Federal Register on Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.

4. In early February. GWA commented during the scoping process to award grant funding through the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to mitigate wildland fire risk from Sourdough Watershed near Bozeman. GWA opposes the process of tree harvesting and thinning as a mechanism to prevent wildfires.

5. GWA wrote a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Assistant Director for Ecological Services, to review the decision to delist the Gray Wolf in concordance of President Biden's Executive Order decision to review previous decisions by the Trump Administration.

6. In concordance with fellow NGOs of southwest Montana, on Feb. 10, GWA signed onto a letter to Acting Secretary of Agriculture to evaluate pending U.S. Forest Service Projects that may conflict with the new administration's policy.

7. On February 23, 2021, GWA developed their own 30 x 30 Proposal as suggested by President's Biden Administration and Executive Order 14008. Proposal has been and still is being circulated.

8. On March 13, GWA wrote a letter to the Gallatin County Commissioners urging them to take notice of the amount of open space and wildlife habitat that is being overtaken by development and growth expansion.

9. The above March 13 letter tied in nicely with GWA's comments on the newly released Gallatin County's Growth Policy, a policy entitled "Envision Gallatin, Tomorrow Together". GWA wrote extensive comments on this policy.

10. GWA provided extensive comments to Gallatin County on the subject of their new Growth Policy entitled "Envision Gallatin, Tomorrow Together" on March 30, 2021.

11. GWA provided extensive comments to the U.S. Forest Service through the Federal Register as directed by the agency in response to President Biden's Executive Order 14008 on Climate Change.

12. Om April 17, GWA sent comments on the U.S. Forest Service initiative to update their Rangeland Management Directives.

13. GWA provided comments in our Objection over the South Plateau Landscape Treatment Project decision on April 21, 2021. On May 12, we learned that the Objection Process has been halted and that the CGNF was going to issue a new Environmental Assessment.

14. GWA submitted comments on April 29 in regard to the release of the draft Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment.

15. On May 14, an Amicus Brief was filed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of GWA by the Willamette Law Group of Oregon City, OR in conjunction with the litigation between Cottonwood Law Center vs. Region 1 of the U.S. Forest Service. The Brief was filed based upon new information concerning climate change affects upon forest management.

16. The 67th Session of the State Legislature was horrible for wildlife. Now all of those bad bills passed and signed into law had to be implemented the Fish and Wildlife Commission. GWA filed a letter on June 23rd commenting on our disapproval of state action and how we perceived the best action or options should be implemented in regard to the recent laws.

17. On June 24, GWA filed an Objection to the Grazing Alternatives supported by the Custer Gallatin National Forest in and along the Paradise Valley.

18. The first week of July, GWA in conjunction with Montana Rivers and Cottonwood Environmental Law Center filed a declaration and a brief for a temporary injunction concerning the nutrient pollution in the West Fork of the Gallatin River.

19. In conjunction with that issue and related to that litigation, GWA in concordance with Cottonwood Environmental Law Center participated in a dye study of the sewage holding ponds in Big Sky, Montana. The purpose of the study is to analyze if the holding ponds were leaking into the West Fork Gallatin River at Big Sky, MT. Cottonwood and GWA volunteers have been involved in sampling prior and after the dye-tracing was done for several weeks in June and July. Study will most likely come to a close sometime in August. 

20.GWA also appealed the decision by BLM in the Travel Management Plan of the Pryor Mountains along with Gallatin Yellowstone Wilderness Association and the Pryor Mountain Coalition.

21. The end of July brought a lot of action. GWA submitted comments on the grazing allotments of APR, changing them from cattle over to bison. One of GWA's long-term goals is trying to expand bison on the natural landscape and the change of BLM lands from cattle to bison could be part of that vision.

22. On July 26, GWA submitted comments to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission against the proposed regulations to increase the take of wolves.

23. On July, 27, GWA provided written and oral comments before the City Commission of Bozeman concerning the City of Bozeman adopt an Amicus Brief to support the logging of old-growth forests in the Gallatin Range and on the City of Bozeman's watershed. We oppose the logging of old growth forests.

24. Due to continued drought conditions across most of the state, Montana FWP disclosed that they were going to open up state wildlife refuges to agricultural interest in order to mitigate harm to the cattle industry and agriculture. GWA wrote the agency opposing such action on Aug. 9.

25. The next day, on the 10th of August, we wrote the President of the United States to protect the "gray wolf". Due to increased potential harm from state activity in Idaho and Montana, we're asking for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to relist the gray wolf for protection.

26. On Aug. 20, GWA provided written testimony to MFWP over the change to trapping and snaring regulations as a result of state legislature action.

27. GWA provided comments to DEQ over the issue of a political willingness to change nutrient reporting from a numeric method to a descriptive method. GWA obvious objects to this turning away from science.

28.  On Oct. 17, GWA wrote a letter to the City of Bozeman and to the Gallatin Valley Land Trust concerning the acquisition of 12 acres of proposed park land to make sure that wildlife habitat and wildlife in general is protected from unleashed and marauding dogs.

29. GWA provided comments on proposed elk hunting regulations to MFWP.

30. As a result of litigation over the artificial elk feeding grounds in Forest Service lands of Wyoming, we wrote scoping comments on the proposed attempt by Wyoming Fish and Game to extend another year of feeding.

31. On Nov. 8, GWA wrote a letter with supported co-signers across the GYE to use the GYE as a tool to mitigate climate change and to increase biodiversity as part if the Biden's Administration's goal of the 30 x 30 program and the "America the Beautiful" campaign.

32. On Nov. 16, GWA formulated comments to the Federal Register concerning the Climate Plan as presented by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture as it relates to the implementation of rules of the U.S. Forest Service.

33. GWA had to present a Declaration of Standing to the Bureau of Land Management and the Interior Board of Land Appeals as to our right to object to the decision of the Travel Management Plan in the Pryor Mountains of south-central Montana. Date submitted was November 22, 2021.

34. On Dec. 5, GWA commented to the Federal Register once again, only this time over the matter of relisting wolves under the ESA listing.

35. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission held a hearing on Dec. 14 to determine the changes in elk hunting regulations. GWA submitted written comments the night before the hearing to the Commissioners themselves.

Our Work in 2020!

1. Signed on to comments along with Wyoming Wildlife Advocates and Sierra Club, Wyoming Chapter, and Western Watersheds Project concerning the Wyoming Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan draft proposal sponsored by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

2. Signed on to comments along with Wyoming Wildlife Advocates and Sierra Club, Wyoming Chapter to Wyoming Game and Fish Department urging them to phase out elk feeding grounds in northwestern Wyoming. 

3. Provided Amicus Brief on behalf of GWA against the proposed timber sale as part of the North Bridger Forest Health Project.

4. Sent letters to and visited the offices of Senator Daines and Tester urging them to reconsider the public land give-away of the National Bison Range in Moiese, Montana. This National Wildlife Refuge is being transferred into the dead of night to tribal lands of the CSKT. GWA is against this sale as we believe it sets bad precedent not to mention the loss of public bison, the science and the infrastructure that has been bought and paid for by the U.S. Government. Submitted Op-Ed letter to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle newspaper on the subject to try and inform the public.

5. Heavily involved and completed in the sponsoring of the 6th annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival.

6. Submitted comments on NEPA changes as proposed by the Trump Adminstration.

7. GWA along with Montana Rivers and Cottonwood Environmental Law Firm filed a complaint in District Court against the Department of Environmental Quality to protect the Gallatin River from unwanted pollution from proposed discharge of treated waste water from the Big Sky community.

8.Have agreed with several other NGO(s) to bring suit against the Forest Service to curtail the bad precedent of the elk feeding grounds in Wyoming. Action soon to be coming.

9. Written comments on the Montana's Climate Solution Plan as drafted by the Climate Solution Council originated by Governor Steve Bullock.

10. Submitted comments on BLM's effort to weaken grazing regulations on public land. 

11. GWA originated a sign-on letter addressed to the U.S. Forest Service (Regional Offices) to not participate with the state of Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game to violate Federal Law in the management of the Gray Wolf in wilderness areas within the state.

12. GWA, eleven other conservation groups, and Footloose Montana along with two community leaders signed on to a letter requesting the Director and Commission of Montana's Fish, Wildlife and Parks to suspend all trapping on public lands during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis.

13. GWA held their first ever "virtual" board and membership meeting on April 21, 2020 at 9:00am due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many topics were discussed and it was felt that this medium (Zoom) held great promise for future meetings.

14. On May 8, 2020, submitted comments to the Governor's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council over the idea of proposed hunting of grizzly bears as part of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks statewide's management plan on public land.

15. GWA submitted comments written by Dr. Jim Bailey to the Centers of Disease Control and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on the subject of removal of Brucella abortus from the select agent bioterror list. Comments submitted May 12, 2020.

16. GWA cosigned a letter along with several other NGOs sponsored by Western Watershed urging the U.S. Congress to include stimulus funding for protection of wildlife and public lands on May 12, 2020.

17. On May 30, GWA submitted original comments to the Montana Dept. of Transportation on the U.S. Hwy 191 Project Study, a study researching resources from Four Corners to the Junction of Beaver Creek Rd at Hwy 191 just south of Big Sky, MT. This highway cuts through prime wildlife habitat resulting in severe animal/vehicle collisions each year. If you would like to comment, here is the link.

https://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/us191/

18. In June, GWA is glad to announce the realization we have our first active Facebook page. See details above.

19. GWA signed on to a letter with other NGOs for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to release all correspondence they have had with the Governor's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council (GGBAC). We believe that there has been some attempted influence to get the GGBAC to adopt a proposal for grizzly bear hunting.

20. On July 4th, GWA sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs requesting them to remove provisions relating to the National Bison Range. GWA and the Blue Goose Alliance and many other groups do not believe that federal lands and their corresponding native wildlife should be negotiated away simply as a real estate deal or as cash to bail out a state's economic woes.

21. On July 23, GWA provided spoken comments to the Governor's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council concerning the future policy on Grizzly Bear Management in the state. Then on August 11, GWA provide further, more detailed comments on the final draft of that plan.

22. We put together a position letter to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission on July 27 to eliminate trapping within the urban interface and/or other recreational areas in Montana as a result of increased demand extending from Covid-19.

23. GWA provided extensive Objection comments to the Forest Service on the 2020 Final Forest Plan for the Custer Gallatin National Forest on August 5. GWA Objected on three (3) counts: Species of Conservation Concern, Wilderness and Land Allocations, and Climate Change and Forest Health. As of Oct. 16, we learned that our Objections have been accepted by the Forest Service. Now we wait for the discussion period with the FS of the 17-19th of November.

24. On August 23, we finalized our comments on the Hwy 191 Corridor Study Project within the Gallatin Canyon.

25. On August 27, we presented a letter to the State of Montana urging them protect the Congress designated WSAs as they currently exist. Their wilderness status needs to be maintained until the proper debate and discussion by the public has taken place. There should be no action taken by others to circumvent the traditional process.

26. GWA provided the Custer Gallatin National Forest with extensive comments on the proposed South Plateau Landscape Area Treatment Project on September 15.

27. GWA has submitted comments for the Montana Forest Action Plan, dated Oct. 21, 2020, a state-wide action mandated by Governor Bullock's Executive Order.

28. GWA have been in active conversations and discussions with three recent issues pertaining to wildlife connectivity and habitat in and around Bozeman, MT since the end of October till the middle of November.

• We have commented on the proposed timber sale along Bear Canyon east of Bozeman by the Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation.
• We have been in discussion with landowners and GVLT over a proposed land acquisition which could trigger the construction of a parking lot and trailhead into a prime wildlife habitat area. This is a "not so easy call" over future use of state lands.
• GWA has provided several documents and discussions over the City of Bozeman's Community Plan 2020, which wants to extend city limits southward and eastward in the vicinity of wildlife habitat and connectivity areas. 
• GWA completed 3 days of Objections to the CGNF plan (Nov. 17-19). Now we wait for the final decision of the Forest Service.

29. We submitted comments to MFWP on the potential sale of a conservation easement near the Missouri River Breaks National Monument near Denton, MT.

30. GWA once again provided substantial comments over the CGNF's attempt to reopen grazing allotments in the Paradise Valley, specifically, the project known as the East Paradise Range Allotment Management Plan.