Gallatin Wildlife Association

10/14/2026

Montana’s wildlife need connected, protected landscapes to thrive. 🌲

Gallatin Wildlife Association joined fellow conservation organizations in a guest column raising concerns about the River Runs Through It Act. The commentary argues that the proposal would open important roadless habitat to logging, roadbuilding and motorized recreation, threatening wildlife corridors and native trout streams.

Read the commentary in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle:
https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinion/guest-columns/river-runs-through-it-erodes-roadless-wildlife-protections/article_61e62315-ce02-40ff-a2a5-5580d846910f.html

Image source: Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

10/05/2026

A major change to the Endangered Species Act could reshape how habitat — and the wildlife that depend on it — are protected.

A new federal interpretation has removed the longstanding regulatory definition of “harm” from the ESA’s definition of “take.” Under the new guidance, a “take” generally requires an intentional act directed at an animal, rather than habitat destruction that indirectly kills or injures wildlife.

Critics warn the change could weaken protections that have helped safeguard threatened and endangered species for decades, while the Trump administration argues the change reins in federal overreach and removes barriers to land and energy development.

What could this mean for wildlife like grizzly bears, wolverines, bull trout and other species whose survival depends on intact habitat?

Read the full article and find original photo credits via Montana Free Press/Mountain Journal:

https://montanafreepress.org/2026/10/01/tweak-to-endangered-species-act-could-allow-widespread-development/

10/01/2026

Feeding bears doesn’t help them—it puts them at risk. 🐻

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks recently euthanized 14 black bears near Bozeman after the animals became heavily food-conditioned and habituated to humans. The incident is a devastating reminder of what can happen when bears learn to associate people and homes with food.

We can help prevent conflicts by never intentionally feeding bears and by securing garbage, bird feeders, pet food, and other attractants. Keeping bears wild means keeping human food out of reach.

Keep wildlife wild. Never feed bears.

Read the full Montana FWP press release:
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MTFWP/bulletins/42d134a

09/24/2026

Yellowstone’s bison survived near extinction. Today, the debate over how many can live beyond the park continues.

A new article from The Wildlife News examines why some conservation groups support the removal of Yellowstone bison—and asks what conservation should mean for an animal still limited in where it can roam. Read the full article: https://www.thewildlifenews.com/2026/09/23/conservation-groups-support-yellowstone-bison-slaughter/

Photos: George Wuerthner. Historical range map: © Infobase Publishing.

09/19/2026

Red Lodge is becoming “Bearsville.”

As of August, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks had recorded 201 bear-related incidents within 15 miles of Red Lodge in 2026. The sharp increase is an important reminder that preventing conflict begins with securing garbage, removing food attractants and giving bears space.

As communities expand into wildlife habitat, responsible coexistence helps keep both people and bears safe.

Read Brett French’s full story in the Billings Gazette: https://billingsgazette.com/outdoors/article_27228b9a-e51f-4ea3-8967-256df0e8e391.html

Photos courtesy of People and Carnivores. Article screenshot via the Billings Gazette.

09/15/2026

08/27/2026

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the largest and most intact wild ecosystems remaining in the Lower 48—but the pressures on it are growing.

In a recent piece for Yellowstonian, Dr. Andrew Hansen, landscape ecologist and professor emeritus at Montana State University, draws on more than three decades of research to examine the mounting threats facing Greater Yellowstone, including habitat fragmentation, development, climate change and potential losses of federal land protections.

The maps included in the piece help put the scale of Greater Yellowstone into perspective. Wildlife do not recognize park, forest or property boundaries. Elk, mule deer, pronghorn, grizzly bears and other species depend on connected landscapes that stretch across the ecosystem. Inventoried roadless lands and Wilderness Study Areas can serve as important links between more permanently protected areas, providing habitat and maintaining wildlife movement across Greater Yellowstone.

For Gallatin Wildlife Association, protecting these connected wildlands—and the wildlife that depend on them—has long been at the heart of our work.

We encourage you to read Dr. Hansen’s full piece, “I Have Studied Greater Yellowstone for 33 Years. Never Has It Been So Threatened.”

📖 Read the full article from Yellowstonian: https://yellowstonian.org/i-have-studied-greater-yellowstone-for-33-years-never-has-it-been-so-threatened/

Article by Dr. Andrew Hansen / Yellowstonian

📷 Photos and graphics courtesy of Yellowstonian and credited sources. Wildlife movement graphic courtesy of Atlas of Yellowstone, University of Oregon.

08/26/2026

🫎 We invite you to join the Gallatin Wildlife Association!

GWA is a nonprofit that tries to be a voice for wildlife. If wildlife could speak, what would they say? Those may sounds like simplistic terms, but we are a small and active group who uses science and the law in our battle to fight for the right of wildlife to exist. To be a voice for the voiceless.

If you’re interested in joining our organization, contact us at galltinwildlife.org

08/24/2026

The Gallatin Range is one of the wildest landscapes remaining in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem—and its future is at stake.

The Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act would remove existing Wilderness Study Area protections from portions of the Gallatin Range, opening the door to changes that could permanently affect this important wildlife habitat and wild landscape.

Gallatin Wildlife Association believes the Gallatin Range deserves lasting protection for wildlife and future generations.

Learn more about our work and how you can support wildlife and wild places at gallatinwildlife.org.

08/24/2026

🎉 Celebrating 50 years of conservation. 50 years of community.

This year, Gallatin Wildlife Association is celebrating 50 years of working for wildlife, and we’d love for you to join us!

📅Thursday, September 10, 2026
🕰️5:00–7:00 PM
📍Baxter Hotel Ballroom | Bozeman, Montana

Join us for an evening of drinks, appetizers, stories, and a look back at five decades of wildlife conservation and advocacy in southwest Montana. We’ll celebrate the people who helped shape GWA, recognize past and present leaders, and reflect on where we’ve been—and where we’re headed next.

Whether you’ve been part of GWA for decades or are just getting to know us, we hope you’ll come celebrate this milestone with our community. 💚

Thank you for being part of our legacy—and here’s to the next 50 years of working for wildlife.**