Greater Yellowstone
Coordinating Committee
Celebrating our
60th Anniversary
1964-2024
A brief history of the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee’s important milestones.
2024—Whitebark Pine Interagency Agreement 3/29/24 – 12/15/28.
2023—GYCC Charter 11/07/23 – 12/31/25.
2022—New Strategic Priorities adopted
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.
2021—Greater Yellowstone Climate-Aquatics Workshop held: Report from the April 27–29, 2021, Climate-Smart Conservation Workshop.
Recreation-Wildlife Public Forum, Jackson WY and Virtual
2020—The wildlife directors of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming joined the GYCC.
2018—GYCC Wildlife Migration Symposium, Jackson, WY
GYA Transportation Needs Assessment, Cody, Wyoming
2017—2017 GYCC MOU (289 KB pdf). 2017 Whitebark Pine MOU (749 KB pdf).
2014-2015—Public Conversations
2012—The Bureau of Land Management joined the GYCC. 2012 GYCC MOU (691 KB pdf).
2011—Completion of the GYA Whitebark Pine Strategy (2 MB pdf).
2010—GYCC Briefing Guide.
Completion of the GYA Climate Action Plan (2.2 MB pdf).
Climate Change Adaptation and Connect People to the Land (now suspended) subcommittees formed.
2008-10—GYA-wide greenhouse gas emissions inventory and emission reduction plan.
2009—Native Fish Subcommittee formed.
2006—Completion of the Greater Yellowstone Area Recreation Assessment for spring – fall season.
Aquatic Nuisance Species Committee formed; now the Aquatic Invasive Species Subcommittee.
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.
2005—Sustainable Operations Subcommittee formed. Now suspended.
2002-04—GYA Hydrologists completed Watershed Management Strategy (292 KB pdf) (updated 2006 Water Strategy Update and 2011 Water Strategy Update). Conducted Reference Stream Surveys on 80 GYA streams for restoration and management.
2001—GYCC Briefing Guide.
Whitebark Pine Subcommittee formed.
2000-2010—GYCC identified important GYA lands for conservation; identified GYA land priorities collectively for Land and Water Conservation funding.
2000—GYCC hired an Executive Coordinator to serve as staff for the coordinating committee and made funds available for unit projects advancing GYCC priorities.
US Fish and Wildlife Service, represented by the National Elk Refuge and Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, joins the GYCC.
GYCC initiated an MOU for Yellowstone cutthroat trout conservation and management; a model of state and federal coordination for native trout.
1999—GYCC Winter Visitor Management working group completed the Winter Visitor Use Management: A Multi-agency Assessment (48 MB pdf), and Winter Use Assessment maps (16 MB pdf), which identified goals and future opportunities, described differences between goals and current conditions, and provided recommendations. Effects of Winter Recreation on Wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Area: A Literature Review and Assessment, published.
Clean Air Partnership produced the GYA Air Quality Assessment (307 KB pdf) (updated in 2005).
1996—GYCC funds provided for completion of the grizzly bear cumulative effects model.
1994—National Forests issue uniform regulations on wilderness and non-wilderness recreation use.
GYCC forms Winter Use Management Work Group to analyze current winter use patterns and areas of conflict.
1993—Units of the coordinating committee issue wilderness fire management plans for wilderness and backcountry areas.
National Forests issue special orders on the use of weed-free feed to reduce the spread of noxious weeds.
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.
National Forests issue GYA Outfitter Policy to provide consistent direction for the administration of outfitter guides.
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 the 1990 Vision document and included principles and guidelines to coordinate management of GYA national parks and forests.
Billings planning office staff and activities dissolved in favor of implementing the Framework directly by the 8 GYCC unit managers. The unit manager becomes the custodian of documents and public contacts.
1990-1997—Several subcommittees and working groups formed, including Hydrologists (1990), Weed Committee (1991), Winter Visitor Management working group (1994), Clean Air Partnership (1997), and Trumpeter Swan Working Group (1997).
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...2024).
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.
1989—GYCC assembled The Greater Yellowstone Post-fire Assessment, a collection and evaluation of post-fire data made by 15 interagency teams.
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).
1986—MOU between NPS and FS revised to reinforce existing mutual cooperation and coordination in response to congressional hearings.
1985—A joint Forest Service/National Park Service planning team established in Billings to create an information base from existing planning documents.
Congressional Research Service Report titled the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem: An analysis of data submitted by Federal and State Agencies. The report noted the need for improved coordination within and between agencies.
Joint hearings held by House Subcommittees on Public Lands and National Parks and Recreation about coordinated management in the Greater Yellowstone Area.
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)
1979—GYCC units jointly issued Guidelines for Management Involving Grizzly Bears in the GYA.
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.