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Our Mission & Vision

Mission: We inspire connection, stewardship, and responsible use of the vast and diverse public lands of the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Vision: A future where all people feel a deep connection to the Bridger-Teton National Forest through education, partnerships and action, ensuring sustainable human uses exist in balance with land, water, and wildlife.

Our Mission & Vision

Our Story

The idea began in the early 1980s: Teton County locals wanted to donate money to make improvements to trailheads and other projects to support and enhance their favorite national forest. However, it’s not possible to donate money to the U.S. federal government. We needed a nonprofit to support the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

Friends of the Bridger-Teton was officially founded in 2019. Since then, we’ve used grants and donations—both monetary and in-kind items (like bear-proof trash cans and fire rings) to support the BTNF and help promote responsible recreation so that we can all enjoy the forest’s diversity and wealth of resources now and into the future.

In March of 2022, the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board (JHTTB) awarded FBT $1 million of grant funding to support marketing and communications efforts focused on responsible recreation and on-the-ground ambassadors on the BTNF. This injection of grant funds into our organization represented a turning point and significant expansion of the impact FBT could have on the forest. The JHTTB continues to be a partner and funder of FBT’s work as an important pillar in visitor management and education in Teton County, Wyoming

Our master agreement with the USFS puts us in a unique position to help fill gaps in funding and capacity so we can do projects similar to the very projects our friends in the 1980s envisioned for the Bridger-Teton National Forest and more. We partner with businesses and NGOs to make stuff happen. Our forest ambassadors work diligently to educate visitors and prevent things from happening (like wildfires and human/wildlife conflicts), and our educational videos and materials help people prepare before they enter the forest.

 

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Infinite Opportunities for Exploration

The 3.4 million acres of the BTNF cross five counties and are managed by six ranger districts. The BTNF is the single largest mass of public land within the 15-million acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, itself the largest intact ecosystem in the Lower 48.

Videos de habilidades del senderismo

Estos videos explicá ¿cómo prevenir accidentes? ¿Cómo dejar un lugar mejor de como lo encontraste? ¿Qué encargar para una caminata? ¿Y cómo protegerse de y cohabitar con osos?

Videos de habilidades del senderismo

About the BTNF

The Bridger-Teton National Forest is bigger than Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks combined, and home to some of the wildest landscapes in the Lower 48. It has 3 Wilderness areas and more than 2,500 miles of trails, and contains the headwaters of the Green and Snake Rivers. People recreate, recharge, and find refuge on the BTNF. If you haven’t, please explore the forest, whether by skiing, hiking, hunting, fishing, or collecting firewood. Humans aren’t the only users of the BTNF, though: 74 species of mammals, 355 species of birds, six species of reptiles, and 25 species of fish live within its borders.

Our Staff

Cheyenne Sterck

Development Coordinator

Samantha

River Steward

Jack Lahey

Mady Fowler

Intern

Parker Romero

Intern

Carlie Ideker

Program Manager

Shane O’Brien

Project Manager

Scott Kosiba

Executive Director

Jennifer Ricupero

Partnership Manager

Dina Mishev

Communications Manager

Our Board

Linda Merigliano

Karla Bird

Lisa Franzen, Co-Secretary

Kathy Gross

Marshall Durston

Chuck Butterfield

Tim Gardiner, Vice President

Marc Domsky

Ian MacLeod, Treasurer

Sharon Smitherman

Steve Markason, President

Karen Daubert, Co-Secretary

Ellen Fales, Board Member Emeritus

Forest Corps

We’re excited to introduce the Forest Corps, a new seasonal initiative designed to help fill critical gaps.

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Era Coriz

Ellie Zaher

Mickey Atkins

Abby Franklin

Ash Gunter

LeeAnn Shelton

Elly McFarland

Forest Corps Crew Lead

Monica Elliott

Partners

It takes a community to protect an ecosystem.

No one organization can steward a landscape as marvelously expansive, diverse, and complex as the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Always with the best interests of the BTNF in mind, we work with more than 100 partner organizations, including nonprofits like Friends of Pathways, Teton Adaptive Sports, and Tip Top Search and Rescue; government offices like Sublette County Weed & Pest, the Town of Jackson, and the USDA Forest Service; and also private companies like Kate’s Real Food, Roadhouse Brewing Co., and Dometic.

Our ability to be good stewards across a forest the size of Connecticut depends heavily on our ability to work with partners with shared values and priorities.

A huge thank you to all of our partners.

Interested in being a partner of Friends?

Become a Partner

FBT News

FBT Forest Corps Is Back—and Clearing the Way

Now in its second season, the nonprofit-funded crew is adding trail-work capacity across the Bridger-Teton—and making room for everyone to get outside. FBT Forest Corps is back for a second...

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Toads that smell like peanuts studied on the BTNF

It’s the BTNF’s mammals—moose, grizzly and black bears, pronghorn, elk—that get most of the attention, but a University of Wyoming doctoral student in ecology has spent part of this summer...

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Stage One Fire Restrictions

Stage 1 Fire Restrictions for Teton Interagency Dispatch Area in Effect Starting July 22, 2026 The Teton Interagency Dispatch Area includes Grand Teton National Park, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, and...

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Ambassadors at work on Shadow Mountain

Sitting just outside the boundary of Grand Teton National Park and with stunning views of the Tetons, Shadow Mountain is the busiest designated dispersed camping area on the Bridger-Teton National...

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Shadow Mountain Camping

Is this the most gorgeous free camping area in the country? If it’s not, sitting on the BTNF’s Jackson District directly across from the main peaks of the Teton Range...

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Meriglianos Receive Teton Conservation Vision Award from Teton Conservation District

In early July, Teton Conservation District announced that FBT Board member Linda Merigliano and her husband, Dr. Mike Merigliano, were the recipients of its 2026 Teton Conservation Vision Award. Together...

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The Four Ws: Ways of Life—Cultural Wisdom and Heritage

The 58-mile long Green River Drift cattle trail, which takes place in and around the Upper Green River Valley in the BTNF’s Pinedale District, has been continuously used since the...

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The Four Ws: Wildlands

The BTNF is special for as many different reasons as users who enjoy it. But there are Four Ws—Water (and snow), Wildlife, Wildlands, and Ways of Life—that make it truly...

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The Four Ws: Water

The BTNF is special for as many different reasons as users who enjoy it. But there are Four Ws—Water (and snow), Wildlife, Wildlands, and Ways of Life—that make it truly...

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The Four Ws: Wildlife

The BTNF is special for as many different reasons as users who enjoy it. But there are Four Ws—Water (and snow), Wildlife, Wildlands, and Ways of Life—that make it truly...

Learn More
@bridgertetonfriends This is a totally sweet campsite, but who can tell us what’s wrong with it? Read about how to select a backcountry campsite: https://tr.ee/HaLQSELWDG #grosventrewilderness #backcountrycamping #recreateresponsibly August 6: Firefighting efforts continue on the Bare Fire in the Big Piney District. It is estimated at 800 acres in size and Wyoming Team 3, a type 3 incident management team, took command of it this morning. Located north of Bare Pass and east of Bare Creek the fire is burning in heavy timber fuels and is exhibiting increased fire activity, including torching and spotting. The fire has crossed jurisdictional boundaries, including BLM land and private land in Sublette County, adjacent to the Forest boundary. Cause of the fire is undetermined. Firefighting resources include one type-1 helicopter, two type-3 helicopters, one water tender, one type-3 engine, eight type-6 engines, six smokejumpers, one type-2 initial attack crew, one type-2 crew, two 10-person suppression modules, and firefighter and other support staff. Today, firefighters will continue to engage the fire at its active edge and aerial resources will continue to support ground operations by attacking the fire from above. Additionally, fire personnel are implementing structure protection measures on private land adjacent to the forest boundary. A Bare Fire Area and Road Closure Order has been established. Find the map of this closure in the link in our bio. Sublette County Sheriff’s Office has coordinated pre-evacuation notices and utilizes the “Ready, Set, Go” alert system. High Lonesome Ranch is in the “Set” stage for possible evacuation. Sublette County Sheriff’s Office and Sublette County Emergency Management will continue to provide updates. #barefire On August 4, firefighters responded to suppress the Bare Fire, located north of Bare Pass and east of Bare Creek on the BTNF’s Big Piney Ranger District. The fire is burning in heavy timber and yesterday exhibited active behavior, including torching and spotting, growing to an estimated 431 acres and spreading onto BLM land east of the Forest before moderating in the early evening. The fire’s cause is unknown. Fire managers are implementing direct extinguishment and indirect confinement strategies. August 5, crews are focusing on strengthening the established anchor point, providing a secure starting location for building fireline. Firefighters will work to construct direct line along the north and south flanks of the fire. Aerial resources will continue to support ground operations, working to slow fire spread along the eastern edge. The public is asked to avoid Bare Creek Road (FS 10046) and South Cottonwood Road (FS 10050) so fire crews can work safely and efficiently. A Forest closure order of the area is forthcoming. A link to the fire’s InciWeb page is in our bio. #barefire #bridgertetonnationalforest We could not be more excited that Bondurant’s Branding Iron Coffee & Empanadas has partnered with us—Through October 31, Branding Iron will donate $2 to us every time a customer adds a shot of espresso to their milkshake! Choose your favorite: Chocolate, Root Beer, Vanilla, or Oreo, then give it an espresso boost. Trust us—it’s the upgrade you didn’t know you needed, and every sip helps support the forests we all love. Great shakes. Great cause. ☕🌲. And while you’re there, their empanadas are AMAZING! @brandingironwyo It’s not just our Forest Corps that’s been killing it so far this summer, but the @stio gear they’re wearing in the field. For the second season, the Jackson-based company has sponsored the trail crew. This season’s go-to gear for them are the Trax Power Grid Half Zip Hoodie and the Lucent Long Sleeve Tee. “We’re thrilled to once again partner with the FBT Forest Corp, an organization doing the quiet, essential work of keeping trails open and accessible for everyone. At Stio, we believe the outdoors should be available to all, and the Forest Corp makes that possible one maintained mile at a time,” says Stio. We can’t thank Stio enough! #fbtforestcorps #bridgertetonnationalforest #getoutside

We acknowledge with respect that our facilities are situated on the aboriginal land of the Shoshone Bannock. Eastern Shoshone. Northern Arapaho. Crow. Assiniboine. Sioux. Gros Ventre. Nez Perce.

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