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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

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...

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Wyoming Range 100

The first time Denis Cook visited the Wyoming Range, one of the six mountain ranges within the Bridger-Teton National Forest, he was invited by friends who promised, “we won’t see...

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May is National Wildfire Awareness Month

A mild winter with little snowpack created an earlier than normal fire season this year. Fire and wildfire professionals in and around the BTNF are already preparing for the wildfire...

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Spotlight On: White Pine Ski Area

White Pine is neither the oldest (Snow King) nor biggest (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort) of the three ski areas on the BTNF, but it is rich in community history. The...

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1966 Time Capsule Unearthed

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@bridgertetonfriends Last month, the FBT Forest Corps worked on trails in the Jackson District of the BTNF. Over a week, the crew of 5 worked on the Cottonwood Creek, Dog Creek, and Sohare Creek Trails. The crew cleared 247 trees from 11.3 miles of trail. And these were trails that last year’s crew worked on! #bridgertetonnationalforest #fbtforestcorps #bridgertetonfriends #trailcrews #trailwork During week 8 of her migr 🦌🦌🦌🦌🦌🦌🦌🦌 she made it across a busy highway in Jackson Hole and over Teton Pass — but she’s not done yet! She traveled 34 miles for the week, bringing her total spring migration distance to 189 miles! As of June 4th she had not settled in to summer range or given birth to her twin fawns. The week began at a stopover in Little Granite Creek, a tributary of Hoback River. She left there in the early hours of May 28th. She migrated ten miles that day past Cache Peak. Her path then went through the headwaters of Horse Creek, which flows into the Snake River just north of Hoback Junction. She then reached Game Creek, where she stopped over for May 29. On May 30 she moved five more miles to Leeks Canyon, the drainage immediately south of Snow King ski area. After resting up and foraging for half a day, Deer 665 descended that canyon and reached US 191. This is the most treacherous highway crossing of her entire migration, with some 10,000 vehicles driving it each day. On May 30 she descended a steep hill, jumped the fence along the highway, and bounded across the five lanes of traffic and a bike path. Jumping another fence, she reached safety in the hayfields along Flat Creek. This open area of private land between Jackson High School and the Rafter J Ranch subdivision is stewarded by multiple landowners. The hayfields provide the connection Deer 665 uses to reach the Snake River and the Teton Range. In the space of 30 minutes she crossed the fields and passed through a gap between buildings measuring 800 feet wide. She avoided a sand trap at a golf course, then wound her way through cottonwood trees and crossed the Snake River, which she swam across just before midnight. By 1 AM on May 31 she had reached the piney slopes of Tetons and the BTNF and then rested for a few hours. The next few days she moved a few miles and then rested a few hours. June 3 she crossed Teton Pass and WY Hwy 22. Graphics and text from @migrationinitiative Our Ambassadors work so hard. We were excited that, last month, @astoriahotspringspark set them up with a tour and restorative soak. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “We had a lovely evening,” said ambassadors Les and Marathanna. “We found the history of Astoria Hot Springs a nice addition to the evening since we both enjoy history and, of course, the hot springs were very invigorating and relaxing. It was a treat to catch up with other Ambassadors. It was a ‘hot time’ for a good evening😉😄.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ FBT Programs Manager Carlie Ideker said, “We are grateful to count Astoria Park Conservancy as a partner. Quinn and his team see the vital connection between supporting public lands, like the BTNF, and stewarding their park for the benefit of people and place. Astoria’s team welcomed nearly 15 BTNF ambassador volunteers and it was a wholly unique experience they won’t soon forget.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #astoriahostspringspark #ambassadorsforresponsiblerecreation Behind every healthy forest is a community that cares. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Friends of the Bridger-Teton works alongside Forest Service employees, volunteers, partners, and local communities to make projects happen that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ FBT is again participating in WyoGives, the online statewide 24-hour giving event. This year it takes place on Tuesday, July 15. Hosted by the Wyoming Nonprofit Network, WyoGives provides a 24 hour opportunity for Wyoming nonprofits to come together and raise critical funds. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ On July 15, visit WyoGives.org and make a donation to us and/or to any of the great nonprofits working across Wyoming. All giving ends at 11:59 p.m., so make sure to get your gift in on time! (Donation link in our bio.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ FBT has supported trail restoration, recreation improvements, volunteer stewardship, youth engagement, and conservation projects that protect wildlife habitat while improving the visitor experience. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ These projects don’t just happen, they happen because people like you believe our public lands are worth investing in. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Your WyoGives donation helps us continue building partnerships that strengthen the Bridger-Teton National Forest today and for future generations. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Help us continue this important work. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #WyoGives #FriendsOfTheBridgerTeton #PublicLands #Community #Conservation Wyoming Stewardship BridgerTeton bridgertetonnationalforest Ron has been an Ambassador enough years that he has lost count. “Summer 2026 will be the sixth or seventh year,” he says. Although he grew up in Brooklyn, NY, Ron fell in love with the outdoors the first time friends took him backpacking. That was in California’s San Jacinto Mountains. Ron came to volunteer on the BTNF because “I saw a need for support. I love the beauty and energy of the area and I want to help keep the BTNF the way it is, or even make it better,” he says. He came back for 2026 because, “I loved the people that I worked with. Also, I know the area pretty well and I want to help keep it safe and keep the forest a special place for generations to come.” As an Ambassador he sees it as his job to help others learn how to take care of the forest. “I like educating people about how special the BTNF is; wildlife, and how to behave around it; and fire safety,” he says. Our Ambassadors for Responsible Recreation program includes full- and part-time summer and winter positions as volunteers for the USDA Forest Service on the BTNF. Summer Ambassador jobs range from educating visitors and locals about the importance of recreating responsibly to manning desks at area visitor centers, doing outreach on behalf of the forest, cleaning toilets, monitoring campgrounds, patrolling popular trails and trailheads, and helping recycle bear spray, among other duties. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This summer there are 40 volunteer Ambassadors for Responsible Recreation across all six districts of the BTNF. They are supported by local lodging tax dollars, Friends of the Bridger-Teton, and private donations. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #bridgertetonnationalforest #bridgertetonfriends #nationalforests #nationalforest #publiclands publicland getoutside responsiblerecreation keepwildlifewild 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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