YELLOWSTONE TO UINTAS CONNECTION

Our organization works towards the goal of improving land management on both public and private land in the Yellowstone to Uintas corridor. We do so by providing the best available science to land managers and developing partnerships that help us accomplish shared conservation goals. We influence agency land management decisions by submitting constructive feedback in scoping comments when the agencies propose management changes on public lands. We also work with the agencies to assist with water quality monitoring, monitoring of cattle grazing allotments, road closures, and other projects.

To work with landowners, we attend public events and site visits in order to network, provide feedback, and learn from these individuals. We are currently coordinating with a few landowners as we begin to spearhead a wildlife friendly fencing project as part of Y2U's Landowner Conservation Campaign. This campaign will include helping landowners procure grants and other resources to retrofit existing fencing with wildlife friendly fencing, especially in key wildlife migration choke points on their property. We will also help landowners develop a conservation plan for their property as part of this project. Our aim is to bridge a divide that often exists between the conservation groups and agricultural communities. We aim to work actively with landowners so they can learn about the many benefits of both conservation and restoration on their land.

Our other main goal is to empower people living in or near the corridor to become knowledgeable advocates for the environment. We hold several environmental education events for citizens, especially youth, and coordinate an annual Successful Activism Training so that citizens can gain the skills to become environmental advocates. Land management impacts watersheds that provide drinking water and recreation opportunities to hundreds of thousands of citizens living around the corridor. Through our education events and trainings, our goal is to empower citizens to work within their communities to foster environmental stewardship.

Yellowstone to Uintas Connection is actively involved in over two dozen environmental projects. We are engaged in review of federal land management agencies, field work, monitoring corridor conditions, educating the public, and empowering citizens to become involved through environmental advocacy workshops. Our agency oversight includes providing feedback to agencies on land management decisions and partnering with agency staff on monitoring. This includes monitoring open cattle grazing allotments to ensure compliance with the Annual Operating Instructions, assessing water quality in the Bear River Watershed, monitoring wildlife with game cameras, helping the agencies close illegal ATV roads and much more.

We work to educate the community, especially youth, about wildlife connectivity, watershed science, and environmental impacts of various land uses so that the public can gain a deeper appreciation for, and connection to, the corridor. We put on several environmental education events and table/present in many public venues and conferences to help accomplish this. Additionally, we empower citizens to become advocates for the environment through our annual Activism Trainings. These trainings provide critical lobbying, communication, and advocacy skills to all people. We bring small teams of citizens to the 2018 legislative session to meet with their representatives and advocate for improvement of environmental policies.

Recently, we refined our approach for accomplishing all of this work, moving towards positive partnership building and collaboration as our main organizational strategy. We have found that where constant litigation tends to burn bridges and makes working with landowners and agency staff near-impossible, finding ways to collaborate and work with the agencies and landowners to accomplish shared goals is a much more effective approach. Often, particularly in the case of agencies like the Forest Service and BLM, these entities do not have the resources to accomplish their own stated goals, such as keeping roads closed that are deemed illegal in Forest Service Travel Plans. Y2U provides equipment, labor and monitoring assistance with these kinds of projects. This also helps us build trust and collaboration with the Forest Service. Through respect and mutual understanding, we have slowly built relationships with several agency staff that help manage the land encompassing the Yellowstone to Uintas corridor.

At the same time, we work with landowners with this same approach. We develop partnerships by listening to the unique insights and struggles landowners experience related to conservation on their property. We are also working to procure funds and other resources for landowners to install wildlife friendly fencing on their land. This will open up additional opportunities for collaborative conservation work with these landowners.

Our founder and Staff Ecologist, John Carter, spent two decades working to educate federal land management agency staff, private landowners, and the community on the importance of watershed-scale land management. With a PhD in Ecology, John has worked diligently to study the Yellowstone to Uintas corridor and communicate its importance to land managers. John's research and science continues to provide a foundation for the conservation work we do. It is the neglect of sound science which has often lead to mismanagement of public land by the federal land management agencies and perpetuated a lack of effort among landowners to restore private lands. However, when working with people whose livelihoods depend on the industries and agencies that are currently mismanaging our land, simply presenting the facts is insufficient for enacting meaningful change. To reach collaborative solutions, there must be buy-in from the agencies, landowners and the wider community.

Y2U has significantly enhanced our communication and outreach efforts with agency staff, private landowners and the wider community since Jason Christensen came on as Director in 2016. Jason chose to change Y2U's approach after a series of legal battles which did not accomplish our goals. He decided a more effective tactic would be finding ways in which all parties can work towards land management solutions that benefits both ecosystems and people. Since then, we have established several working partnerships with BLM and Forest Service staff to help them monitor trespass cattle in wilderness areas, close illegal ATV roads, and conduct site visits when timber, grazing, mining and road projects are proposed. Jason, and his wife Kandis, who serves as our Programs Director, are both from ranching backgrounds and understand the importance of working with the agricultural community. They are both uniquely situated to advocate for the environment while simultaneously working with landowners.

Y2U also hired an Outreach and Development Director, Logan Christian, and Ecological Technician, Casey Brucker, in 2017. Logan and Casey helped the organization significantly expand its work in 2017. Both are recent graduates from Utah State University and were heavily involved in environmental advocacy and research projects while in school.

Every year, Y2U collects data on stream quality, wildlife populations and other indicators of watershed and ecosystem health. We report our research to the federal agencies responsible for managing our public lands and watersheds. In an effort to ensure the use of our data to improve land management, we develop working relationships with agency staff. For example, in addition to providing the Logan Ranger District with E. coli data from streams in grazing allotments in 2017, we are developing a plan to help them with cattle monitoring in 2018 to ensure that grazing permittees are following their Annual Operating Instructions (AOIs). After beginning a similar monitoring project in the Uinta Mountains five years ago, instances of trespass cattle in the Uinta Wilderness have been reduced significantly. In 2017, we were even mentioned in the AOIs as an organization monitoring cattle in the Ashley National Forest. Additionally, in 2017 we closed over six miles of illegal ATV roads with the Montpelier Ranger District and successfully negotiated the protection of 175 acres surrounding the headwaters of Paris Creek, a key Bonneville cutthroat trout stream on Forest Service land. This area was previously heavily grazed by cattle.

Private lands make up a significant portion of the corridor. In 2017, Y2U began establishing working relationships with private landowners. We now have several landowner contacts including the head of the Young Farmers and Ranchers association. Our goal is to help landowners procure grants and resources to enhance conservation efforts on their lands, including the installation of wildlife friendly fencing. By fostering working relationships with landowners we will open the door for dialogue and action towards private land conservation.
Y2U also recently received a joint grant with Wild Utah Project to conduct a Geographic Information Science (GIS) analysis to determine wildlife migration impedance points in the corridor. The GIS analysis will help us identify key private parcels and landowners to work with.

Y2U conducted several classroom presentations reaching over 150 students in spring of 2017. In September, 2017 we received funding to host three environmental education events at the Y2U-adopted Limber Pine Nature Trail in 2018. The events will provide a meaningful outdoor experience for over 75 students with guided hikes and take-home field guides. We will teach students about watershed science, keystone species, ecosystem services and other environmental concepts. Y2U conducted its first Successful Activism Training in June, 2017. The training provided 50 Utah citizens with valuable communications and lobbying skills. Following our next training in January 2018, which will likely include 100 citizens, Y2U will organize a citizen lobbying event for Utah residents during the 2018 Utah State Legislative Session.