The Give Back to the Yellowstone campaign was developed by Montana Freshwater Partners as a highly collaborative effort to tackle and alleviate issues surrounding increased recreational, developmental, and climate-related pressures that the Upper Yellowstone River watershed is facing. As the Yellowstone River directly supports the community in Park County, Give Back to the Yellowstone is intended to do just that: to Give Back to the resource that sustains our way of life. The campaign operates using a three-pronged approach: Watershed Protection Projects, Flood and Drought Mitigation, and Education and Outreach. These techniques collectively aim to protect and restore the function of the Yellowstone River and its tributaries, lessen the impacts of flood and drought on the community and its infrastructure, and engage with and educate the local community about the nuances behind maintaining watershed health and coexisting with a wild river. 

 

Selected examples of Give Back to the Yellowstone projects include the restoration of 2 miles of Flathead Creek in the Shields Valley, riparian planting projects on flood-impacted properties along the Yellowstone River, updated channel migration zone mapping for the entirety of Park County, organizing river clean up events, education and outreach around protecting the Yellowstone River, supporting the beaver conflict resolution program and educational signage installations at fishing access sites along the Yellowstone. Along with projects, the Give Back to the Yellowstone campaign offers opportunities to volunteer and engage in events such as the annual Yellowstone River cleanup in partnership with Joe Brooks Trout Unlimited and other local organizations. 

To learn more about Give Back to the Yellowstone, visit the Montana Freshwater Partners website at https://freshwaterpartners.org/get-involved/protecttheyellowstone/. Additionally, if you are interested in getting involved with the campaign, please contact Wendy Weaver at wweaver@freshwaterpartners.org.