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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

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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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

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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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: The Original 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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@bridgertetonfriends A lightning-caused wildfire is burning on the Blackrock District of the BTNF. Burning near Sagebrush Flat in the Spread Creek drainage about three miles south of Highway 26/287, the fire has grown to more than 250 acres. Please avoid Hatchet and Flagstaff roads as firefighters work to contain the fire. A helicopter, two fire engines, and two fire modules worked on the fire Wednesday (May 13). Additional resources—including an air attack supervision plane, three hotshot crews, two initial attack crews and more wildland fire engines—are arriving today. With these resources, there will be 150 people working on the fire. Thunderstorms, strong winds, and dry conditions contributed to the growth of the fire. Wind carried embers outside of the fire and caused the fire to jump Flagstaff Road. Still, Wednesday evening rain helped subdue the fire in sage and grass and firefighters were able to establish an anchor point from which to build a fireline. Crews are working to expand the fireline to minimize the spread of the fire. Warm temperatures and winds this afternoon (May 14) will contribute to active fire behavior. Winds are coming from the southwest, meaning the fire would travel northeast, towards Highway 26/287. Stay up to date on the fire via the link in our bio. #spreadcreekfire #tetoninteragencyfire #bridgertetonnationalforest Starting May 15, we invite you to a special seasonal workout: "Lumberjack Lite" 💪🌲 Personal use firewood permits for the BTNF will be available beginning May 15. The price per cord is $7, with a minimum purchase of five cords for $35. The maximum amount of firewood that may be purchased by each household is ten cords. Firewood collecting is as much preparation for next winter as it is a life lesson in overestimating and/or testing your upper body fitness. But even if you can't lift your your arms and your back is jacked for several days, future you, next to a crackling fire, will be very thankful. 🔥 A few reminders: Stick to downed wood (no chopping live trees). Make sure chainsaws are equipped with spark arresters/shields. All forest off-road travel restrictions apply and will be enforced. Invite a friend to help haul logs. Permits can also be ordered over the phone and mailed to you. Do this by calling one of the six BTNF District offices and providing the required information. Once delivered, the purchaser is then required to sign and date their permit to finalize the process prior to collecting firewood. #bridgertetonnationalforest #firewoodcollecting #wyominglife #nationalforest #landofmanyuses UW Extension's second webinar on wildfire is tonight. The subject is Collaborative Community-level Planning for Wildfire Risk Management. Subsequent webinars offer both practical knowledge and specialist perspectives, and actionable steps to help Wyoming communities better understand wildfire risks. Register and find recordings of prior webinars at the link in our bio. @uwyoextension #wildfireinfo #wildfiremanagement 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 season. You can, too: May is National Wildfire Awareness Month and a critical time to prepare your home and neighborhoods for fire season before dry, hot weather peaks. Read about what you can do in the front- and backcountry, and also at your home, to reduce the risk of wildfire, in the link in our bio. @sublettecountyunifiedfire #wildfireawarenessmonth #wildfiresafety #smokeybear A student from one of the communities adjacent to the BTNF recently won the Wyoming Native Plant Society's 2026 Native Plant Poster contest: Isadora Clark is in 8th grade at Pinedale Middle School and taught by Kandase Youtz. 2026 is the Wyoming Native Plant Society's third year of holding this poster contest, which celebrates Wyoming Native Plant Month. The contest is open to all Wyoming 6th–8th graders. This year's theme was “Native Plants Benefit People.” Students were asked to highlight the many essential roles that plants play in human lives. Isadora picked the chokecherry. While usually shrub sized, it can grow into a tree up to 30′ tall. The plant is beneficial to birds and to humans. Chokecherries contain antioxidants and its bark has antiseptic properties. Isadora's poster, along with those of the other winners, will be displayed across Wyoming public libraries from June through November. @wyomingnativeplantsociety #wyomingnativespecies @sublettecountylibrary

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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