Do you #GiveAHoot about the Yellowstone River?
The cold, clear water of the Yellowstone and Shields Rivers are the lifeblood of Park County. The health of the river’s ecosystem and the health of the local community are inextricably linked.
As we face threats from climate change and development, PCEC is committed to protecting our local rivers and their tributaries. We are working with stakeholders and decision-makers to create on-the-ground water conservation strategies that will maintain and build resiliency in the ecosystem.
That’s why we’re encouraging you to show your support for Park County rivers and streams through the Give a Hoot Giving Challenge.
In recent years, we have safeguarded the Yellowstone River’s headwaters in a number of ways:
Passing the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act to prevent the risk of acid mine drainage that would be generated from industrial-scale gold mines which would have polluted key tributaries to the Yellowstone.
In response to a 2016 fish kill, PCEC has worked with the Upper Yellowstone Watershed Group (UYWG) to proactively plan for and respond to increasing pressures on local water resources.
This summer, PCEC is working with the UYWG, the Institute for Tourism and Recreational Research at University of Montana, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, along with the active involvement of river stakeholders and the general public to assess recreational and commercial demands on the river.
Working to prevent industrial developments in Park County that threaten our water resources, including oil and gas leases, a gravel pit/asphalt plant and tire dump.
PCEC is working to implement proactive community planning efforts that will prevent developments that risk harming area water resources, advocating for setbacks on streams and limiting development in the floodplain.
The river is the reason so many of us live here. It supports our jobs, our way of life, our entire community. With a changing climate, less snowpack is likely to lead to reduced flows. More people than ever are using the river. We need your continued investment in PCEC in order to help protect the river we all love and share.
Please support PCEC’s Yellowstone Headwaters program through a donation to the Park County Community Foundation’s community fundraising challenge. This is an opportunity to have your donation to PCEC matched through the close of Give a Hoot on August 6.
In community,
All of us at PCEC