We are the BFFs of the BTNF.
We work to support the 3.4 million acre Bridger-Teton National Forest, which is bigger than Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks combined, and home to some of the wildest landscapes in the Lower 48.
We do the things you wouldn't notice, unless it didn't get done.
At 3.4 million acres, the BTNF is the largest mass of public land within the 15-million-acre Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), the largest intact ecosystem in the Lower 48.
Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks each have their own “friend,” a nonprofit arm that supports them: they are, respectively, Grand Teton National Park Foundation and Yellowstone Forever Institute.
FBT logs tens of thousands of hours of volunteer service cleaning/maintaining trailheads, putting out abandoned fires, and correcting food storage issues. We create videos and collaterals to help visitors understand what to expect and how to prepare for a visit to the forest. We streamline processes, save money, and make projects happen through community collaboration.
Pumping toilets, plugging potholes, and improving trailheads, our work isn’t always glamorous.
We also maintain trails and forest service roads, keep campgrounds open, and staff popular trailheads.
The BTNF is ours to care for, so it remains a land of many uses for generations to come.
We envision a model where every forest (including the five others in the GYE!) has a dedicated philanthropic partner. Through private support, we ensure our forest remains healthy and accessible for all users, setting an example for forest stewardship across America.
Ambassador Impact Data
To date, here are all the amazing things our Ambassadors have accomplished:
Where We Work
The BTNF stretches into 5 of Wyoming's 23 counties and is broken into 6 distinct 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.
Share the Bridger-Teton National Forest with other users, and with wildlife.
Our Programs & Campaigns
While we strive for diverse, year-round programming, almost all of our work has one thing in common: it’s done in collaboration with partners and partner organizations. Programs can be ongoing, held annually, or be one-offs and range from fundraising events to trail days, camps for kids, the vitally important Ambassadors for Responsible Recreation, and our awareness/responsible recreation advertising campaign “BFFs of the BTNF.”
Ambassador Program
Friends of the Bridger-Teton Ambassadors for Responsible Recreation are dedicated volunteers and employees of the USDA Forest Service that serve as the front line of protecting this spectacular area. Just like our beloved sagebrush is integral to the health and vibrancy of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Ambassadors are fundamental to the Friends of the Bridger-Teton ecosystem. “There is no question Ambassadors have made a significant impact in preserving the forest’s resources,” says Linda Merigliano, the BTNF Wilderness and Recreation Manager and Public Engagement Coordinator.
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Blackrock Field Camp
“Our tribal history is rich and vast but a lot of our culture is kind of fizzling away,” says Eastern Shoshone Historic Preservation Officer Joshua Mann about the younger generations on the Wind River Reservation, which is adjacent to the Bridger-Teton National Forest. “It’s all dwindling away and that’s sad to say, but I think it is something that we can change.” Enter Blackrock Field Camp, which, since 2016 has welcomed hundreds of fourth and fifth graders from the Wind River Reservation onto the BTNF for a two-day cultural exchange and nature experience. Like most of our programs, Blackrock Field camp is made possible thanks to valuable partners, which include the BTNF, Eastern Shoshone, Northern Arapaho, Wind River Reservation school districts, and the USDA Forest Service, among other organizations, that provide funding, volunteers, and expertise.
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BFFs of the BTNF
Prominent locals and users of the BTNF share WHY they are a Best Friend of the BTNF and HOW they are a Best Friend of the forest in these weekly ads in the Jackson Hole News&Guide and Jackson Hole Daily. Because this campaign is funded in part by a grant from the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board, which supports our work in the BTNF’s Jackson and Blackrock Ranger Districts, currently the print ad component of this campaign is limited to Jackson Hole. We are looking for BFFs of the BTNF in the Greys River, Big Piney, Kemmerer, and Pinedale Ranger Districts to feature on social media, though.
Interested in being a BFF of the BTNF? Tag us and #beabffofthebtnf #btnfbff and #bffofthebtnf on Instagram.