Greater Yellowstone
Coordinating Committee

A brief history of the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee’s important milestones.

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2024—Whitebark Pine Interagency Agreement.

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2023—GYCC Charter 2023-2025.

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2021—Completion of the Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment. This first volume presents an in-depth summary of past, historical, and projected future changes to temperature, precipitation, and water in the GYA.

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2021—Greater Yellowstone Climate-Aquatics Workshop held: Report from the April 27–29, 2021, Climate-Smart Conservation Workshop.

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2020—The wildlife directors of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming joined the GYCC.

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2017—2017 GYCC MOU (289 KB pdf). 2017 Whitebark Pine MOU (749 KB pdf).

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2012—The Bureau of Land Management joined the GYCC. 2012 GYCC MOU (691 KB pdf).

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2011—Completion of the GYA Whitebark Pine Strategy (2 MB pdf).

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2010—Completion of the GYA Climate Action Plan (2.2 MB pdf).

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2006—Completion of the Greater Yellowstone Area Recreation Assessment for spring – fall season.

 

Aquatic Nuisance Species Committee formed; now the Aquatic Invasive Species Cooperative.

 

The six GYA National Forests signed one Record of Decision (1.2 MB pdf) to amend their Forest Plans to incorporate the habitat standards from the Final Conservation Strategy for the Grizzly Bear in the GYA.

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2005—Sustainable Operations Subcommittee formed. Now suspended.

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2002—GYA Hydrologists completed Watershed Management Strategy (292 KB pdf) (updated 2006 Water Strategy Update and 2011 Water Strategy Update).

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2001—Whitebark Pine Subcommittee formed.

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2000—GYCC hired an Executive Coordinator to serve as staff for the coordinating committee, and made funds available for unit projects advancing GYCC priorities. GYCC identified important GYA lands for conservation; identified GYA land priorities collectively for Land and Water Conservation funding.

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1999—GYCC Winter Visitor Management working group completed the Winter Visitor Use Management: A Multi-agency Assessment (48 MB pdf), (Winter Use Assessment maps (16 MB pdf) which identified goals and future opportunities, described differences between goals and current conditions, and provided recommendations. Clean Air Partnership produced the GYA Air Quality Assessment (307 KB pdf) (updated in 2005).

 

US Fish and Wildlife Service, represented by the National Elk Refuge and Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, joins the GYCC.

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1992-1997—Several subcommittees and working groups formed, including Hydrologists (1992), Weed Committee (1993), Winter Visitor Management working group (1994), Clean Air Partnership (1997), and Trumpeter Swan Working Group (1997).

 

1992—Development of Guidelines for Coordinated Management of Noxious Weeds in the Greater Yellowstone Area. These guidelines provided a unified effort in developing a weed management program. This work guided the development of many CWMA’s in the region.

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1991—GYCC issued A Framework for Coordination of National Parks and National Forests in the Greater Yellowstone Area. The Framework is the final version of the1990 Vision document, and included principles and guidelines to coordinate management of GYA national parks and forests.

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1990—GYCC issued Greater Yellowstone Area Interagency Fire Planning and Coordination Guide to provide coordinated direction for fire management issues and operational procedures throughout the GYA. (Guide updated in 1995, 2000, 2006, 2010).

 

GYCC issued draft Vision for the Future (34 MB pdf), describing a desired future condition of the GYA through coordinated management goals. Extensive public review and comment followed.

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1987—GYCC issued Greater Yellowstone Area Aggregation of National Park and National Forest Management Plans (section 1 (39 MB pdf), section 2 (24 MB pdf) section 3 (47 MB pdf), section 4 (MB pdf), section 5), summarizing existing national park and national forest management plans in the GYA, and depicting future conditions resulting from management plan implementation. Aggregation Section 5 Appendices (11 MB pdf)

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1983—Five GYCC units participated in Greater Yellowstone Bald Eagle Working Group, which issued the Greater Yellowstone Bald Eagle Management Plan. (Greater Yellowstone Bald Eagle Management Plan 2 MB pdf)

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1979—GYCC units jointly issued Guidelines for Management Involving Grizzly Bears in GYA.

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1964—The Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC) was formed with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service. It consisted of 2 park superintendents and 6 forest supervisors, as well as 1 NPS regional director and 3 regional foresters. The committee dealt with routine administrative matters.

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