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Our Mission & Vision

We bring the community together to support the Bridger-Teton National Forest where it is most needed, ensuring it remains a land of many uses for us all.

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

Scott Kosiba

Executive Director

Margo Feingold

Programs Manager

Jennifer Ricupero

Partnership Manager

Dina Mishev

Communications Manager

Our Board

Chuck Butterfield

Tim Gardiner

Marc Domsky

Ian MacLeod

Gracy Carpenter

Sharon Smitherman

Steve Markason

Karen Daubert

Ellen Fales

Susan Marsh

Forest Corps

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

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Katherine Ergil

Jillian Greene

Sage Abate

Elly McFarland

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?

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FBT News

Forest Corps Update June 2025

The FBT Forest Corps crew has hit the ground running. “The early season is going great!” says Forest Corps leader Monica Elliott. “It seems that project partners from each district...

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Putting Money Where the Fun Is

A new fee system in the Snake River Canyon Area will help the BTNF enhance user experiences and safety, and also protect the river’s wild and scenic values. And users...

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Bridging the Gap on the BTNF

Like many public lands across the country, the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) is feeling the effects of staffing cuts, especially going into this summer. With fewer wilderness rangers and trail...

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Jay Pistono: Teton Pass Backcountry Ambassador

Jay Pistono worked for the Bridger-Teton National Forest for nearly 20 years as its only paid Teton Pass Ambassador. He’s worked to create a culture of decency among the occasionally...

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BTNF Ambassador Artist in Residence

Jess Moore was our first-ever Ambassador Artist in Residence

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A Bear that Transcended Boundaries: 399 and the BTNF

 

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BFFs of the BTNF

BFFs of the BTNF print campaign launches in local publications

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FBT’s new radio station: 1710 AM

  In July, FBT launched a new radio station with tips on how to recreate responsibly on the BTNF, and it’s getting a boost from Indiana Jones. Turn the AM...

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Fire Ring Installation – BTNF, August 2023

  There’s a lot going on during the busiest month on the BTNF. Trailheads and campgrounds are crowded and our Ambassadors are busy educating forest users about responsible recreation and...

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FBT News July 2023

Hello Friends, Summer has finally arrived in Wyoming and I could not be happier! So much has happened over the last few months in the life of Friends of the...

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@bridgertetonfriends Meet Mike Johnson, Greys River District, Moose Flat Campground Second-year Ambassador Mike Johnson started coming up to the Greys River in 1988. “I camped up here with a friend that year and we were so enamored with it that we said we’d come up every year,” Mike says. “I also started bringing my kids and eventually grandkids. It’s become a family tradition every year.” Retired from working for the city of Orem, Utah for 25 years in 2004 and from the private sector in 2023, Mike has volunteered for city and state lands for years. Last year was his first time volunteering on federal lands. He was happy to get posted to Moose Flats because that was an area he had often camped with his family. “It’s a place that has been a connection for me for most of my life,” he says. “It’s a beautiful valley and remote enough that you don’t have your cell phone and you can just get away.” Because the Greys River area, which is the busiest spot of the BTNF’s Greys River Ranger District, is so important to him, Mike spends the time talking to and, when needed, helping educate Moose Flats campers, whether he’s on duty or off. “Even when I’m not on, I try to wear my volunteer hat whenever I can,” he says. “When I’m out ATVing or hiking, or fishing—I am an example of how to recreate responsibly on the BTNF.” Mike is at Moose Flats with his cat, Moji. He got her just before his first summer as an Ambassador and Moji surprised him by giving birth to a litter of five kittens in early August. “She’s a fun camping buddy, but still doesn’t like driving in the car.” Fun Fact: One of his grand-daughters is named Lucy Grey, after the Greys River. A huge thanks to the Alpine Travel & Tourism Board for supporting our Greys River Road Ambassadors! #ambassadorsforresponsiblerecreation #bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #greysriver #volunteergov #publiclandsvolunteer Growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, Mike Greer first heard about firefighting for the Forest Service from a family friend. It sounded interesting, so he applied. Mike landed his first firefighting gig in 2006, for the Bridger-Teton National Forest based out of Big Piney, Wyoming. He is now a BTNF Fire Engine Captain and estimates he’s been on between 400-500 fires in nearly every state. “Every fire is different, each with its own obstacles, and I just enjoy dealing with it as boots on the ground,” he says. The public can help Mike do his job by practicing campfire safety. Make sure to check to see if there are any current fire restrictions on the BTNF. If you don’t know how to put out a fire, you should not have a campfire. Have at least five gallons of water and a shovel to extinguish your campfire: First douse the campfire with water. Then, stir it. Put your hand over it to feel it. Repeat these steps until the all of the heat is gone. Learn more about what Mike does as a BTNF Fire Engine Captain in this week's Jackson Hole Daily. #facesofthebtnf #bridgertetonfriends #fireenginecaptain #wildlandfirefighting #bridgertetonnationalforest #nationalforest #publiclands #nationalforestjobs #publiclandsjobs #tetoninteragencyfire 📷 @davidmrule #bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #publiclands #nationalforest #nationalforests #independenceday #squaretopmountain #squaretop #wyomingwildlands #wildlands Greys River Road is one of the most popular car camping areas on the BTNF. Note that it is the Greys River District, not the Grey’s River District. Even though Grey’s River would be correct since the river takes its name from John Grey, who may have been mixed race Iroquois and Scottish, and trapped beaver in this area in the early 19th century. Grey is remembered in history (“history” being a road sign along Idaho Highway 362 in Caribou County) as a famed fighter of grizzly bears and also a skilled intermediary between whites and Native Americans. Quick look: 438,883 acres in size; district ranger is Justin Laycock; the tallest peak in the district is Mt. Fitzpatrick Peak in the Salt River Range (10,912 feet) Fun Fact: Yellowstone National Park has thousands of thermal features, but the Greys River District is home to North America's only cold water geyser, the Periodic Spring. This spring is also unique because it is the world's largest of the three known fluctuation springs. It usually goes dormant from around the end of May into August (the spring doesn’t work when run-off is high). Teton Pass & Mosquito Creek Ambassadors Leslie and Kipp Frohlich, who are first-time volunteer FBT Ambassadors in the summer of 2025, first visited the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem on a family vacation to Yellowstone and the Tetons in 2001. Their second time here was for the wedding of their nephew, who got married at Grand Targhee in 2009 and lives in Victor. “And we are fortunate that our son, Eric, now lives in Jackson,” they say. “One of the reasons volunteering appealed to us was that we wanted to stay longer than a week at a time. Our daughter lives in Alaska with our two grandchildren so we have visited there numerous times since retirement. But this summer we wanted to spend several months in the Tetons to really get to know the area.” “Before we retired, we always thought that volunteering like this—if we got the right kind of camper—was something we’d be interested in,” the couple says. Kipp worked for 35 years in the wildlife conservation field. “I worked on things like endangered species protection and living safely with bears as part of my job with the State of Florida,” he says. Leslie was a teacher. “I taught kindergarten, first, second, and third grades, but most of my career was teaching kindergarten,” she says. When not on duty for FBT, the couple hope to hike and get out on Jackson Lake or Yellowstone Lake with Eric and his fiancé Madi in their boat. Fun fact: Kipp & Leslie are high school sweethearts who were in the same homeroom in high school and in choir together. They bought their first matching sleeping bags for each other while attending college and have not stopped camping since. They will celebrate their 46th wedding anniversary this August while volunteering. #ambassadorsforresponsiblerecreation #bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #publiclands #nationalforest #nationalforests #visitjacksonhole @visitjacksonhole #publicland #jacksonhole

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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