Park County Environmental Council

11/03/2026

Still not sure who to vote for in local races?

PCEC is providing information to support voters and encourage everyone to vote. We reached out to all candidates running for Park County Commissioner, House District 58, House District 57, and Senate District 29 in 2026.

We asked them to answer four key questions.

Polls are open from 7am-8pm on Election Day - TODAY- Tuesday November 3rd.

PCEC is providing information to support voters and encourage everyone to vote. We reached out to all candidates running for Park County Commissioner , House District 58 , House District 57 , and Senate District 29 in 2026.

11/03/2026

After public input and legal and scientific guidance, the Forest Service modified its Cooke City forest project.

More than 400 acres are now set aside from logging for a whitebark pine study, and commercial logging south of Highway 212 has been canceled.

It’s a partial win. Concerns remain about commercial logging at this scale and fuel management without prescribed fire, and our work continues. Thank you to everyone who showed up.

Read the full update: https://www.pcecmt.org/stories/cooke-city-forest-project-moves-forward

11/02/2026

According to an article in WyoFile, Yellowstone grizzly bear deaths are at their highest level again this year. While within predictable ranges, this is still alarming—

* Cattle/livestock depredation: 27 grizzlies (1.6X higher than average)
* Accidental: 12 grizzlies (2X average)
* Natural: 11 grizzlies (3.6X average)
* Illegal poaching: 6 (3X average)

Grizzlies killed because they harmed livestock and bears that died from accidental causes like vehicle strikes contributed to the record. Illegal killings and natural deaths spiked, too.

10/29/2026

Tomorrow, Friday, October 30, join us on Zoom for a community volunteer panel on how cities build and sustain volunteer tree planting and pruning groups.

Panelists will share each group's history, the status of their programs, how they're funded, what's next, and advice for other communities hoping to start their own.

Hear from Livingston Loves Trees, Climate Smart Missoula, Growing Friends of Helena, and Rooted in Cheyenne.

Friday, October 30, 8:30 to 10:30am MT�

Find the Zoom link, tree resources, and more: https://www.pcecmt.org/stories/tree-panel-tour-and-pruning-workshop-reminder

10/28/2026

Want to feel like a winner? Enter the Bear-Safe Raffle.

Bear Awareness Gardiner (BAG) and the PCEC are raising funds for bear-resistant trash infrastructure at Shields Valley High School. Clyde Park has seen a lot of bear activity in town and around the school, a place where kids, staff, and families gather every day. Bear-resistant infrastructure is extremely expensive, but it works, and it helps keep communities safe.

The funds raised will go toward bear-resistant dumpsters and trash cans. Every $10 you donate earns one entry in the raffle for a chance to win an Ursack Bear-Resistant Food Sack and a Bear Spray Training Kit (a Counter Assault bear spray and a Frontiersman inert practice canister). The raffle closes October 31, and we’ll announce our two prize winners.

Securing trash is the best thing we can do to keep our community safe.

Donate and get your entries here: link in bio or https://tinyurl.com/bearsmartfund

10/26/2026

Park County moves at the speed of trust.

That’s true of how this community works, and it’s true of how PCEC works. For more than 35 years, we’ve shown up at meetings, read the plans, picked up the phone, and sat down with neighbors, landowners, agencies, and local leaders, including the ones who have differing opinions.

Relationships like that take years to build, and they’re a big part of why conservation here gets done in a way that lasts.

That kind of work takes time, and it depends on people who care about this place and are willing to back it up.

If you’d like to support this work, you can give to PCEC through https://www.pcecmt.org/donate and help us keep showing up for Park County.

10/23/2026

Help Park County Environmental Council and Bear Awareness Gardiner raise funds for bear safe infrastructure at the Shields Valley School.

Our goal is $5,000 for bear-resistant infrastructure to support safety at the school, and you can give today, whether or not you can join us Saturday: https://pcec.salsalabs.org/ClydeParkBearSmartFund/index.html

Clyde Park has been seeing a lot of bear activity in town and around the school. How we choose to respond as a community to living with bears says a lot about our resilience. Much like navigating severe winter weather and wind storms, living alongside bears takes foresight, creative mitigation tools, proactive planning, and a commitment to collective safety.

If you’re local, join us Saturday, Oct 24th at Crazy’s in Clyde Park for a bear-inspired menu from Chef Gabby, who knows the art of cooking in bear country. Start with walk-around appetizers, meet your neighbors, and swap bear stories. Space will likely fill up soon, so reserve your spot: [email protected]

Can’t make it? Your donation goes just as far toward keeping bears and kids safe: https://pcec.salsalabs.org/ClydeParkBearSmartFund/index.html

10/23/2026

Tree pruning season is nearly here, and to prepare, Livingston Loves Trees and the City of Livingston are hosting a hands-on tree pruning workshop for tree adopters of young trees and folks interested in volunteering!

RSVP REQUIRED for REGISTRATION: https://www.pcecmt.org/events/tree-pruning-workshop-livingston-loves-trees-y9p8b

🗓️ Friday, October 30th, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

📍 Meet at Lincoln School.

🌳 Bring (if you have): Trimmers, an orange safety vest, gloves, and water.

The class is taught by tree expert and arborist Patrick Plantenberg, Chair of Montana Urban Community Forrest Association (MUCF). You'll learn proper pruning techniques tailored for the types of trees found here in Livingston, get an official Pruning Certificate, and connect with other folks who love trees!

10/21/2026

Still deciding who to vote for? Watch the AAUW 2026 Park County Candidate Forum:

Park County 2026 CANDIDATE FORUM COME HEAR THE CANDIDATES DISCUSS THE ISSUES OCTOBER 19, 2026 COMMUNITY ROOM, PARK CITY COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 414 E. Callender, Livingston 6:00 – 7:15 PM. Park County Clerk of Court, County Commissioner Sheriff Candidates 7:30 – 8:45 PM. House Districts 57 AND 58 Sen...

10/21/2026

Have you turned in your ballot? Ballots are due at the election office by 8pm on November 3rd, and postmarks won’t count.

If you are still deciding, check out our candidate Q&A!

We asked everyone running for Park County Commissioner, HD 57, HD 58, and SD 29, four key questions about growth, water, wildlife habitat, and land use.

Read their answers before you vote: https://www.pcecmt.org/stories/2026-park-county-commission-amp-local-state-legislature-candidates