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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

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

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 Cultural Wisdom—that make it truly extraordinary...

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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 Cultural Wisdom—that make it truly extraordinary...

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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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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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@bridgertetonfriends UW Extension’s fourth webinar on wildfire is tonight. The subject is a case study of the response to 2024 Elk Fire, which burned 98,000+ acres in the Bighorn National Forest. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Register and find recordings of prior webinars at the link in our bio. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ @uwyoextension #wildfireinfo #wildfiremanagement Migration tracking is back! 🦌 Deer 665 departed winter range on April 9th to begin her spring 2026 migration. She covered about 67 miles in the first week, crossing a highway and four creeks. Deer 665 was born in June 2021; this is her 10th migration connecting the Red Desert and the Tetons and passing through the BTNF. The Wyoming Migration Initiative shows her journey through weekly updates. This year, Deer 665 started migration nearly a month earlier than last year. This could be due to the very mild winter. Leaving Superior, she passed South Table Mountain on April 10th, and the Killpecker Sand Dunes and Steamboat Mountain by April 11. Deer 665 made it to Jack Morrow Creek by April 12, and crossed WY 28 by the end of that day. At 16 miles, this was her longest-distance day for week 1 of her migration. WY 28 is the first of three highway crossings along her migration. Deer 665 moved at a slower pace April 13, traveling about eight miles to reach the Prospect Mountains. April 14 she crossed Little Sandy Creek and Big Sandy River and traversed along the foothills of the Winds. By April 16, she had crossed Muddy Creek, wrapping up 67 miles of migration for her first week of migration. Deer 665 spent all winter near Superior, Wyoming, sometimes coming within 300 feet of its town hall. The WMI team captured Deer 665 near Superior on December 7, 2025 and March 11, 2026 for health checkups. In December she weighed 165.4 pounds with 11.3 percent body fat. In March she was 161.4 pounds and 6.6 percent body fat. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Deer 665 is pregnant with twins and is in good shape to successfully give birth at the end of her migration. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is the first in MWI’s series of spring 2026 migration updates for Deer 665. Will she stopover to browse on emerging plants along the Winds, or continue her rapid pace? Follow them in the link in our bio to see weekly updates. #fridayfun ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We learned a couple of random things this morning: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 1. May is Zombie Awareness Month. 2. With its low population density and rugged landscape, Wyoming is the best state to survive a zombie apocalypse (according to a new study, which you can see in the link in our bio). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This study’s Zombie Apocalypse Survival Index scores 64 North American locations across four pillars: how vulnerable a population is to rapid zombie spread, how well-armed and defended it is, how well-stocked it would be for a long siege, and how physically capable its residents are of, well, running. Each pillar is scored from 0 to 100, combined into a final index, and converted into survival odds based on a 5% global base rate scaled against the index. The average location comes in at around 5%. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Wyoming offers the best survival odds on the continent at 7.09%, scoring highest on firearms and low vulnerability, making it the best-placed location to ride out the undead. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If the study had factored in the amount of public lands (like the BTNF), we bet Wyoming would have scored even higher. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Here’s hoping the undead would be good stewards of the BTNF. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Zombies were added to this actual image of the ridge above the BTNF’s Palmer Creek using AI. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #zombieawarenessmonth #wyomingzombies #publiclands #zombieapocalypse UW Extension’s third webinar on wildfire is tonight. The subject is reducing the risk of wildfire to your home. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ These 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 As of Tuesday morning, the lightning-caused Spread Creek Fire near Togwotee Pass on the BTNF’s Blackrock District was estimated at 257-acres and 100% contained. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Firefighting resources include one type 3 helicopter, infrared-capable UAS, four interagency hotshot crews, one type 2 initial attack crew, one type 3 engine, three type 6 engines, two suppression crews and additional support resources. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Shown here are the Bridger Aerospace Super Scoopers, specialized firefighting aircraft from Montana. They arrived at @jhairport Thursday. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Each plane can collect up to 1,412 gallons of water from nearby lakes or rivers and deliver low-altitude drops directly onto active fire zones. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Approximately 164 personnel were assigned to the fire. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #tetoninteragencyfire #jhairport #bridgertetonnationalforest #blackrockdistrict #spreadcreekfire wildfiresafety

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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