2024 Year End Wrap Up

As we begin to unwind into a (hopefully) more gentle holiday pace, we want to take a moment to celebrate the highlights of our work of the past year.

The accomplishments and progress made across our various program areas fill us with pride and gratitude to call Park County home. Thank you for showing up, participating, and making these achievements possible.

We are still in the midst of our year-end membership drive. If you have already given to PCEC and renewed your membership this year, we thank you. It’s not too late to become a member or renew your membership.

Donate and Renew Your PCEC Membership

Highlights from 2024:

Voting Down Ref 1 – A Community Victory. We Successfully defended Park County's Growth Policy by defeating Referendum 1, which would have repealed the policy and required drafting a new one, followed by a public vote. This process would have taken an estimated 2-3 years, during which the County would have been unable to implement new land use regulations or ordinances and would have been ineligible for many federal grants. With the current Growth Policy in place and a planned update to begin in 2025, we can continue to pursue land use regulations that protect Park County’s landscapes and communities.

Livingston Downtown Plan. PCEC has been a driving force in establishing Livingston’s new downtown plan. We helped the city re-apply to join the Montana Main Street Program, wrote grants to hire a consultant, and collaborated with Montana State’s Community Design Center on a downtown inventory and studio projects. Thanks to the hard work of city personnel and community members, this forward-thinking blueprint for our downtown’s future has been adopted.

City Subdivision & Zoning Regulation Updates. An important part of the Livingston Growth Policy, adopted in 2021, is ensuring the goals within the policy are realized. City personnel have taken this task seriously and have begun the work of updating the city’s regulatory documents - namely the subdivision and zoning regulations. Thanks to this endeavor, Livingston has a new planned unit development process, gateway overlay regulations, and more changes are in the works. These efforts ensure Livingston continues to grow responsibly and thoughtfully.

Suce Creek Development. In October, we caught wind of a proposal by Flex Capitol Group, a Miami-based real estate investment firm, for a large-scale resort complex that would include a restaurant, spa and 100 cabins on 90 acres of agricultural land up Suce Creek. Such a development would bring significant environmental impacts, especially with respect to water supply and waste water management. PCEC has been working closely with neighbors ever since to explore solutions to protect their neighborhood. 

Advocating for Land Use Planning. The Suce Creek proposal highlights the urgent need for land use planning guardrails. In the last quarter of 2024 we advocated for the county to take up the issue of land use planning in whatever form best fits Park County. The County Commissioners have all agreed that this issue needs to be taken seriously. In 2025, we’ll push our commissioners to hold open, honest discussions across the county to explore and implement thoughtful regulations that protect our community’s character and natural landscapes.

Wildlife. We continued working in collaboration with Yellowstone Safe Passages to support a wildlife crossing study and successfully advocated for funding from the Montana Wildlife and Transportation Partnership for a feasibility study for a wildlife crossing project on US 89 in southern Paradise Valley. We also engaged in advocacy to improve bear, bison, and wolf management practices. 

Healthy Landscapes:  In collaboration with the Park County Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA), we monitored and treated invasive and noxious weeds throughout the county, leading educational field days and training residents in effective weed management practices. These initiatives are designed to improve ecosystem health, and improve resilience of working landscapes.

Climate & Community Initiatives. Currently developing a “Community Resilience Toolbox” for the City of Livingston, an innovative resource designed to support community preparedness and sustainability. Through our Livingston Loves Trees initiative, we planted 100 trees across Livingston, with a special emphasis on neighborhoods with fewer trees to enhance urban green spaces, air quality, and climate resilience.

Diverse Engagement. Launched the Crazy Mountain Oral History Project to document diverse perspectives on the region’s natural and cultural heritage. This project archives the voices and experiences of diverse narrators connected to the Crazy Mountains, fostering appreciation of the area's layered history and building relationships and understanding between diverse communities.

Volunteer Projects. We organized multiple community-focused initiatives, including Earth Day celebrations, tree planting, land stewardship activities, and trail maintenance. These volunteer projects strengthen community bonds and instill a conservation ethic among local residents.

Looking Ahead:

We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting and enhancing the incredible place we call home. Your involvement—whether submitting comments, attending meetings, or spreading the word—makes all the difference. Together, we can continue to shape a future that reflects our shared values and vision.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season. We look forward to continuing this vital work with you in the new year.

With gratitude,

Max