Design With Nature in the Anthropocene: The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by Aleck

Design with Nature in the Anthropocene:

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Selected Works from Graduate Architecture Studio 551 Spring | 2020 Montana State University

edited by Nicole Andersson, Aleck Gantick, Chere LeClair

School of Architecture PO Box 173760 Bozeman, MT 59717-3760 arch.montana.edu architect@montana.edu

© Copyright 2020 Montana State University School of Architecture Individual contributions are copyright their respective authors. Images are copyright their respective creators, unless otherwise noted.

Contents

01 Introduction.................................. 1

Class Narrative....................................... 2 Project Team........................................... 3

Provocation............................................ 4

02 Connection to Nature.................. 11

Zion Park Trip......................................... 12 Reflections.............................................. 20

03 Mapping........................................ 25 04 Student Projects........................... 51

Aleck Gantick......................................... 52

Tiffani Finley........................................... 98

Aidan Cohen.......................................... 82 John Sanford.......................................... 118

Nicole Andersson.................................. 130

Jimmy Brown......................................... 162

Saunders Allen....................................... 148 Eliana Delabahan & Sander Story....... 180

Introduction

Class Narrative

Photo by Elena Cizmaric

Bozeman, Montana has become the fastest growing city of its size in the United States. As I write this, the growth has only been exacerbated in the past few months by COVID-19 migrants, seeking wide open spaces and relishing our relatively low infection rates. The pandemic has necessitated moving workflows on-line, and many positions have morphed to function permanently remote, freeing-up telecommuters to work from anywhere. Bozeman and the Gallatin Valley are booming. A midrise materializes seemingly overnight in the urban core and simultaneously a new rural subdivision cuts its way across rich agricultural land or relatively pristine habitat. All of this is the inevitable result of progress, right? What is at stake in this era of explosive growth? The Gallatin Valley lies at the northern extent of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and its patchwork of public and private lands comprise the most intact ecosystem in the lower fortyeight states. This region is also a key component of the interconnected ecosystems that comprise the backbone of the Yellowstone to Yukon ecological zone. The survival and genetic diversity of migratory species, particularly large land mammals, such as moose, elk, grizzlies, etc., is dependent upon the health and viability of these interrelated ecosystems. 2

I posit that humans are the invasive species, perilously impacting the functioning of these ecosystems and the abundance of non-human life that rely upon them. Many of these human impediments are more obvious and well known. A couple examples include damming rivers and the damage inflicted to native trout spawning or the carnage wrought when migrating species experience high mortality rates in collisions with vehicles along roadways cutting across key habitats. Other impacts are less obvious such as the onslaught wrought by backcountry enthusiasts; hikers, mountain bikers, backcountry skiers, ice climbers, snowmobilers, motorcyclists, etc. as they penetrate deeper and deeper into critical habitats in perpetually increasing numbers. Development, recreation, and the overall increase of the human footprint has led to habitat degradation, loss, and fragmentation. It begs the question, “Are we loving this place to death?” These themes provided the backdrop to the graduate studio I taught in the spring of 2020. Early in the semester, nine students and I spent an intensive week together in Zion National Park. We embarked on a profound spiritual journey, unpacking the pure magic of spending three continuous days together in the wonder of nature, exploring the value it holds for humanity. Upon our return, we began to unpack the complex and interlaced fabric of the Yellowstone Ecosystem, researching the historic, contemporary and projected uses, growth and impacts. We researched the extent of the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative, mapping both natural and man-made conditions. Once this broader context was established, the class mapped these conditions at the scale of the GYE. Finally, either individually or in small groups, the students began to research a more intimate site of study. In the short time remaining, they created proposals to engage design thinking as a mechanism to tackle the challenges that emerged. I would like to thank my students; Saunders Allen, Nicole Andersson, Jimmy Brown, Aidan Cohen, Eliana Delabahan, Tiffani Finley, Aleck Gantick, John Sanford, and Sander Story for their passion and tireless commitment to the studio, especially in light of interruption created by the pandemic. Many thanks also to Aleck and Nicole for their help in editing this book. Additionally, this work would not have been possible without the gracious sharing of time and expertise of Dennis Glick (Future West), Todd Wilkinson (Mountain Journal) and MSU faculty Andrew Hansen, Ralph Johnson, Bradford Watson, Cathy Whitlock, and Bill Wyckoff.

Sincerely,

Chere LeClair Teaching Professor MSU School of Architecture 3

Project Team individuals to move here. I would like to focus on design as a medium to question our occupation of this landscape and ask not what nature can offer us, but how we can co-habitate with nature and the established ecology of a place.

Nicole Andersson [Graduate Student]

Chere LeClair [Architecture Professor]

I was born and raised in Montana. At an early age, I developed a keen awareness of the natural world and the non-human beings that also occupy this landscape. My mother’s roots are ranching and my father’s are construction and development. These factors strongly influenced my decision to become an architect. For me, it is essential that students question what defines architecture and the ideas of sustainability. Does a project end at the edge of the building or the immediate site? I wanted to challenge them to discover the extent of the total site of impact, and to embrace a larger repertoire of design thinking skills beyond the traditional design studio, and deeply understand the human need to connect with nature. Also, I saw this studio as an opportunity for exploration and reflection of human impact at the scale of the ecosystem. For me, this is

a missing link in the current architectural discourse. I would like to continue and build upon the work of this studio in subsequent coursework. We find ourselves at a tipping point, and the very survival of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is at risk. Architects have an important voice and skill set to lend, and we can be part of the solution.

Aleck Gantick [Graduate Student]

I am originally from the rural community of Clark, located in North-Western Colorado near the Zirkel Wilderness. Much of my childhood years were spent fixing the fence lines of private ranches and recreating on public lands. Growing up with a strong connection to the outdoors, I have often found myself taking these majestic landscapes for granted. As these places become more populated, we run the risk of destroying the desirable qualities motivating 4

I grew up in Cambridge, NY, a small rural farm town upstate where I grew an appreciatation for agrarian achitecture and pastoral landscapes. I’ve come to realize that so much of architecture education and practice is centered within cities, where the greatest impact to human life can be directly seen. This class, however, shifted the typical architecture studio from an urban context to one within nature. Our core focus was not humans, but rather animals and vegetation. I have never designed for nature but this studio offered an opportunity to be in reverence to animal activity and natural systems rather than human progress (anathema to our ritualistic architectural practices). This studio changed the way I view a landscape; no longer do I only see plants and animals in a landscape, but I also see also the inseparable and conflicted history of human activity woven through it. We have touched, altered, damaged, revered, and feared nature, all while attempting reconciliation. I now see architecture as an opportunity to present a new hierarchy among natural systems and human development.

Saunders Allen [Graduate Student]

I am from Alabama’s Gulf Coast and have been interested in building and design since early childhood, though my first brushes with real design came from building furniture for friends and family as a teenager. I took this studio out of passion for the enjoyment and conservation of wild natural lands and waters that came from a childhood spent

outside, paired with my growing understanding that it is the responsibility of architects and designers to consider how our role in society can positively impact the natural world. This studio helped me to understand how architects might think about how the infrastructure of our human world can be leveraged to suit more than just human needs; this is a concept that I am exploring in my ongoing Master’s Professional Project and hope to further explore in my career in architecture and conservation.

Jimmy Brown [Graduate Student]

I am from Aztec, New Mexico. I chose Architecture because I like to build things and problem-solve. Architecture allows that while giving the freedom of creativity. I took this studio because it offered a different end result for the semester that was foreign to what we learned the previous four years. It was an opportunity to think holistically and not just site specifically. This class has allowed me to think about the surrounding environment while doing design and not just on a specific location. I am able to better envision the impact my design has in a bigger context rather than just locally or adjacent to the site.

Aidan Cohen [Graduate Student]

I am from Katonah, New York. I like to build things with my hands. I like the smell of dirt. I thought maybe by taking this studio I could go outside and smell some good dirt every now and again. This class made me reconsider my existence, why I moved to Bozeman, and what I do in my everyday life. People drive out into the most remote wilderness areas, and lounge inside of their luxurious, fortified, “adventure-vehicle” so they can update their social media, sip a local beer, read Bukowski, and pretend to be Alexander Supertramp. Maybe the best thing to do if we actually love nature, is to move to the most densely populated, energy efficient city that we can find, and feel comforted by the fact that nature is thriving

without us, and the animals that call that region home are extremely glad that we’re very far away.

Sander Story [Graduate Student]

I am from Park City, Montana. I chose to study architecture because I saw it as a way to engage with a wide variety of challenges and contribute to making the built environment more beautiful. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to study architecture here. Because I have been afforded that privilege, I believe it is important to think critically about the systems at play in this place. I’ll never look at the place I call home the same way again or any other landscape. I want to take responsibility for how our ecosystems are affected by infrastructure and the built environment in whatever work the future holds for me.

Eliana Delabahan [Graduate Student]

I grew up in Northern California with a passion for expression through various art mediums. Early exposure to basic architectural hand drafting fed into both my artistic and problem-solving interests and presented a whole new understanding of what expression is and can be in design. In the seven years I’ve lived in Bozeman, I have been exposed to a landscape and environment which has allowed me to experience life and my surroundings more intimately. I’ve learned nature should be cherished in its many forms and scales. How we as humans factor into our experiences of nature brings a level of conversation and contemplation which attracted me to this studio. I knew this studio was more than exploring a local case study, but that it represented a fractal within a larger set of issues. I wanted to not only experiment in creative explorations of the humanenvironment relationship, but, in a way, become another small piece working towards addressing these issues through the lens of design and design thinking. This class made me not only realize, but 5

greatly value the diversity of people’s experiences of the environment and regional landscapes. It is the diversity of these human-environment experiences that present opportunities for architects and designers (and young designers like myself) to express creative solutions for a more thoughtful and proactive experience of the environment.

John Sanford [Graduate Student]

I grew up in Great Falls, Montana. Growing up in Montana has afforded me many great experiences with nature and has instilled a deep reverence and appreciation for it. I chose to study architecture because I have always been fascinated with making things and with creative problem-solving. I choose to take this studio because I was interested in studying the relationship and impact that we have on the natural environment. The topics that we, as a class, have explored, has impressed on me a greater responsibility to advocate for a sustainable relationship with our surrounding natural environment.

Tiffani Finley [Graduate Student]

I am from Billings, Montana and became interested in architecture after taking drafting classes in high school. I chose architecture because it gave me the opportunity to utilize creative problem-solving to positively influence the built environment. I made the decision to take this studio because I am interested in the way that humans impact native ecological systems. I saw this studio as an opportunity to explore the connection between human influence and ecology through a unique design lens. Taking this studio has really spotlighted the significant impact humans and the built environment have on ecological systems. This studio has caused me to feel a sense of responsibility to design architecture that not only benefits humans but the surrounding ecology as well.

Provocation

Anthropocene: In the Human Epoch, human activity is directly responsible for the greatest extinction event since an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. Due to climate change, habitat loss, disease, invasive spices, over hunting and fishing, plastic pollution... ect, the extinction rate of species is up to 1000x higher than the background extinction rate*

* Welcome to the Anthropocene: Informing People about the New World Order. Population Matters. https://populationmatters.org/sites/ default/files/Population%20Matters%20Anthropocene%20briefing_2017.pdf 6

Photo by Chere LeClair

Provocation

“Human beings have evolved a plurality of ways of engaging spirit, nature and one another so as to enable their mutual flourishing; we need to be critically faithful to each of these ways, separately, and in interplay with each other, if we are to set our species on a just, sustainable, and spiritually fulfilling path of planetary evolution. This is the promise of the marriage of the ecological world view and the democratic ideal in our epoch.” Engel, 2000

Photo by Chere LeClair

Photo by Saunders Allen

Connection 11

Zion National Park ‘The 3-Day Effect’

While the majority of Arch 551 studio work focused on the Yellowstone to Yukon ecosystem corridor, a trip to Zion National Park in Utah, provided a reallife ‘nature’ experience, one which was, for most, out of the ordinary and in an unfamiliar landscape. The change in climates (from cold to warm) gave us, not only a reprieve from the Montana winter, but also a chance to witness the beauty of nature in a different state, albeit in the same national park system as Yellowstone. The trip was meant not to be data gathering, but rather for an attunement of our spiritual and psychological responses to nature. After three days, we all felt the effect nature had on our minds, bodies and connection to one another.

The 3-Day Effect

How Nature Calms the Brain by Florence Williams While much of the world presses on in the pursuit of progress, few stop and ask the question, are we missing a fundamental piece of the human experience? Is nature enmeshed with our health, happiness, and creativity? While often thought of as superfluous, can nature have a quantifiable impact on the human psyche and well being? The 3-day effect is a testament to the power and value of reconnecting with nature in any context.

Photo by Jimmy Brown

“It’s like standing in a beautiful piece of artwork.“ - Florence Williams, The 3-Day Effect

Photos by: John Sanford (left), Aleck Gantick (top right), Nicole Andersson (bottom right)

Zion - Day 1 Monday, January 20th

Zion - Day 2 Tuesday, January 21st

Photos by: Aleck Gantick

Photos by: Jimmy Brown (left), John Sanford (top right), Aleck Gantick (bottom right)

Zion - Day 2 Tuesday, January 21st

Zion - Day 3 Wednesday, January 22nd

Photos by: Jimmy Brown

Photos by: Nicole Andersson (top left/ top right), Aleck Gantick (bottom)

Zion - Day 3 Wednesday, January 22nd

Zion - Day 4 Thursday, January 24th

Photos by: Jimmy Brown

Photos by: Nicole Andersson (left), Jimmy Brown (bottom right/ top right)

Zion - Day 4 Thursday, January 24th

Reflections

A Personal Connection to Nature

Selected readings provided the backdrop for discussions of humanity’s relationship and connection to nature. The Zion Trip transcended academic and conceptual themes into a visceral and real-world bodily experience. Reflections on individual discoveries while submerged in nature for three days allowed the group to deeply connect to each other and the gravity of the issues to be addressed by the studio. The selected reflections illuminate the insights gleaned from both readings and field trip. The following pages are a collection of student reflections tied to experiences in Zion.

opposite page: Textures of Zion National Park, Jimmy Brown Black and White Photography

above: Omission Commission, Aleck Gantick Photo Collage

above: Zion Triptych, John Sanford Watercolor

03 Mapping

Mapping

Yellowstone to the Yukon Mapping as our Primary Tool

Informed by our one-on-one exposure to nature, the studio set out to map areas of research within the Yellowstone to Yukon region. While the scale was variable, the maps fell into three broad categories. Terra Firma: topography, geography, watersheds, climate, fire, communities, regions Ecosystems: dynamic relationships of organisms; flora, fauna, and habitats Human Influences: history - indigenous, white settlement, land use patterns - agriculture, industry, infrastructure, private vs. public lands, economies local/global, trading, resources extraction, tourism With these prompts, permutations of time, past, present and future were overlaid within the mappings and revealed design opportunities within historic, contemporary, and projected patterns.

H u m a n i m p a c t o n Te r r e s t r i a l Ecosystems in Relation to the Ye l l o w s t o n e t o Yu k o n I n i t i a t i v e Salmon Selway Bitterroot High Divide Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Peace River Break Y to Y Boundary Google Maps. “Yellowstone to Yukon Region (2013).” “Y2Y Priority Areas (2013).” Accessed 05 February, 2020. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NnpCedIRWC3iTu6sQpyE8JC tsHG61bZU&ll=45.32337863073385%2C-124.66760999999997&z=2

More Impact

Less Impact Wildlife Conservation Society - WCS, and Center for International Earth Science Information Network–CIESIN - Columbia University. 2005. Last of the Wild Project, Version 2, 2005 (LWP2): Global Human Inuence Index (HII) Dataset (IGHP). Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). https://doi.org/10.7927/H46W980H. Accessed 05 February 2020.

Key Migration Points

80 mi

credit: Aleck Gantick

Ye l l o w s t o n e t o Yu k o n I n i t i a t i v e Salmon Selway Bitterroot High Divide Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Yellowstone to Yukon - desired boundary of conservation Google Maps. “Yellowstone to Yukon Region (2013).” “Y2Y Priority Areas (2013).” Accessed 05 February, 2020. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NnpCedIRWC3iTu6sQpyE8JC tsHG61bZU&ll=45.32337863073385%2C-124.66760999999997&z=2

National Parks, National Forest, and Wilderness Areas

Salmon Selway Bitterroot - Includes one of the largest continuous

road-less areas in the lower 48 States. Although it contains suitable habitat for grizzly bears, there have been no grizzlies in this region since the 1940’s. The goal to have grizzly bear populations reinhabiting the SSB within 20 years. The connectivity of surrounding ecosystems is vital to achieve this goal. High Divide - One of the most important linkage areas in the Y to

Y region, connecting the three biggest blocks of protected wildlife habitat in the lower 48 States. It is a mix of grassland and upland forests, of public land interspersed with dozens of large working ranches that date back to the homestead era. Mostly isolated and with a rural agricultural character, this region is under pressure from housing development, extractive industries, and increasingly busy

“Our mission is to connect and protect habitat from Yellowstone to

highways.

Yukon so people and nature can thrive. Y2Y’s role is to set the context for regional conservation work by providing the vision for a healthy

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem - Includes the world’s first national park, Yellowstone, as well as Grand Teton National Park. Outside

Yellowstone to Yukon landscape, and to bring partners together to

Yellowstone Park hundreds of bison who wander out of the park in

achieve as a network what none of us can accomplish alone. Together,

search of food are slaughtered by Montana state officials. Yellowstone’s

we knit together the landscape from one jurisdiction to the next.“

grizzly population is geographically isolated from the remaining bears

- Yellowstone to Yukon vision and mission.

on the continent, threatening them with inbreeding and possible decline. Wildlife-vehicle collisions and impermeable fencing also pose 80 mi

challenges to wandering wildlife.

credit: Aleck Gantick

Resource Extraction in GYE How does the type of land access correlate to resource extraction and energy infratructure patterns? Yellowstone National Park sits at the north western corner of Wyoming, whose economy is built on energy production from oil, gas and coal, is the fourth highest producer of coal energy in the country. The oldest national park in the world considered a marvel for the preservation of native species, Yellowstone’s ecosystems have become threatened by the rise in temperatures due to human carbon emissions. Scientists and researchers have concluded historic shifts in termperature, snow pack and water runoff, all of which disrupt intricately balanced plant and animal ecosystems. A paradox in landuse accompanies the borders of the GYE; on one side, a semi-undistrubed landscape and a symbol of ecological conservation for the world, and on the other, a landscape rich in coal (areas in yellow) that represents the pillaging and exploitation of earth typified by extractive practices. Petroleum and crude oil pipelines run around the north, east, and south borders of the GYE, and intersect with critical hubs of civilization and energy production. Bridger, Black Butte and Kemmerer are active mines south of GYE, and adjacent to them, coal production plants. Oil and Gas extraction (blue and brown) result in hazardous air conditions, a threat to public health (areas in pink). This extractive and emissions-emitting industry knocks at the backdoor of Yellowstone, our national treasure, prompting the question, how much more can we take? and will it ever be enough?

Yellowstone to Yukon Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Yellowstone and Teton National Park, Rockefeller Parkway Threat zones of Air Pollution from Oil & Gas Facilities

https://oilandgasthreatmap.com/threat-map/

Oil and Gas Extraction

Coal Resources

petroleum pipeline

Coal Extraction

crude oil pipline

coal

petroleum

wind

solar

biomass

natural gas

hydro

map data provided by: https://www.eia.gov/state/maps.php?v=Coal

credit: Nicole Andersson

Residential Development Growth Salmon Selway Bitterroot High Divide Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Yellowstone to Yukon - desired boundary of conservation Google Maps. “Yellowstone to Yukon Region (2013).” “Y2Y Priority Areas (2013).” Accessed 05 February, 2020. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1NnpCedIRWC3iTu6sQpyE8JC tsHG61bZU&ll=45.32337863073385%2C-124.66760999999997&z=2

National Parks, National Forest, and Wilderness Areas More Impact

Less Impact

Easements U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP), 2018, Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US): U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/ P955KPLE

Private Land Ownership

(> 1,600 acres or 25 contiguous parcels)

Large Private Land Easements Parcel and ownership data via landgrid.com

100% or more growth 50% - 100% growth Metropolitan Status Counties Areas of interest

Wildlife Conservation Society - WCS, and Center for International Earth Science Information Network–CIESIN - Columbia University. 2005. Last of the Wild Project, Version 2, 2005 (LWP 2): Global Human Influence Index (HII) Dataset (IGHP). Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). https://doi.org/10.7927/H46W980H. Accessed 05 February 2020.

Areas of Interest These four areas reveal themselves as areas with key conservation potential. These areas are identified by large private land holdings, few owners and a rapid growth in housing development in the past 20 years. In the coming years these large tracts of land will become more valuable for development, creating an opportunity for conservation initiatives to intervene or to employ best development practices that promote ecological viability and sustainability.

80 mi

credit: Aleck Gantick

credit: John Sanford

credit: Eliana Delabahan

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Research | Migration MIGRATION ROUTES WITHIN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

MIGRATION OVERLAY WITH VEGETATION MAP

MIGRATION OVERLAY WITH LAND OWNERSHIP IN MONTANA

credit: Jimmy Brown

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Research | Elk Migration ELK MIGRATION OVERLAY YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK MAP

ELK MIGRATION OVERLAY ROADLESS AREA MAP

credit: Jimmy Brown

Butte

Human Recreational Activity Map

Billings Bozeman

Livingston

Big Sky Red Lodge

Gardiner

Powell West Yellowstone

The Human Recreational Activity Map shows areas of high public activities within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The public recreation mapped includes mountain biking, hiking, running, water recreation, and winter recreation, such as skiing. High levels of human outdoor recreation have been recored within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a 34,375 square mile area that contains one of the largest intact ecosystems in the world. With such high levels of human recreation within a critical ecosystem, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is at risk of long-term natural habitat disruption and environmental loss. Data Sources: STRAVA Heatmap, USGS Streamer

Cody

Jackson

Idaho Falls

Pocatello

Lander

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Boundary

Yellowstone National Park Boundary Waterways Human Recreation Activity Scale:

10 Miles

credit: Tiffani Finley

35 Logan

Low Activity

High Activity

utte

Recreational Biking Activity Map

Billings Bozeman

Livingston

Big Sky

The Recreational Biking Activity Map shows areas of high biking activity overlaid with mountain biking trails within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The map demonstrates the intensity of biking in specific areas of the ecosystem. Mountain biking has the potential to negatively impact the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by eroding soils, increasing storm-water runoff, and destroying local plant habitats.

Red Lodge

Gardiner

Powell

Data Sources: STRAVA Heatmap, REI Co-op MTB Project

West Yellowstone

Cody

Jackson

Idaho Falls

Pocatello

Lander

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Boundary

Yellowstone National Park Boundary Mountain Biking Trails Human Recreation Activity Scale:

10 Miles

Low Activity

36 Logan

High Activity

credit: Tiffani Finley

Butte

Billings Bozeman

Human Recreation vs Animal Migration

Livingston

Big Sky Red Lodge

Gardiner

Powell West Yellowstone

Cody

The Human Recreation vs Animal Migration Map shows the correlation between specific species’ migration patterns in relation to human activity. The human activity shown includes mountain biking, hiking, running, water recreation, and winter recreation, such as skiing. The migration routes mapped are those of pronghorns, big horn sheep, moose, elk, and mule deer. The map demonstrates that there are several areas where the migration route of these species are affected by human activity. Several of the migration routes have shifted to avoid areas of high human activity, forcing animals to find alternative routes and disrupting natural migration patterns. Migration routes appear to have shifted around areas of high human activity, such as Big Sky, MT and Jackson, WY. Data Sources: STRAVA Heatmap, Data Basin - Dawn Dress

Jackson

Idaho Falls

Pronghorn

Big Horn Sheep

Moose

Pocatello

Lander

Elk

Mule Deer

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Boundary

Yellowstone National Park Boundary Human Recreation Activity Scale:

10 Miles

credit: Tiffani Finley

37 Logan

Low Activity

High Activity

Big Sky

Soundscapes vs Animal Migration

Red Lodge

Gardiner

Canyon Village

Powell

West Yellowstone

The Soundscapes vs Animal Migration maps shows the correlation between soundscapes recorded and migration patterns of specific species. The maps demonstrate the amount of time natural and non-natural sounds were audible over the duration of the recording time. The migration routes reveal areas within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem where there is conflict between non-natural sounds and migration patterns. It can be inferred that the amount of non-natural sounds in specific areas results in the distribution of migration patterns.

Cody Old Faithful

South Entrance

utte

Data Sources: National Park Service - Yellowstone Soundscape Program, Data Basin - Dawn Dress

Oxbow Point Bozeman

Billings

Livingston Teton Village

Idaho Falls Natural Sounds vs Migration

10 Miles

Jackson

Big Sky Red Lodge

Gardiner

Pocatello

Lander Powell

Canyon Village West Yellowstone

Percent of Time Sound was Audible:

Cody

Natural Sounds

< 10%

Non-Natural Sounds

10% < 20%

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Boundary

20% < 30%

Old Faithful

30% < 40%

Yellowstone National Park Boundary

40% < 50% 50% < 60%

South Entrance

60% < 70%

Oxbow Point

70% < 80%

Logan Teton Village Jackson Idaho Falls Non-Natural Sounds vs Migration

Pronghorn

Big Horn Sheep

Moose

80% < 90%

Elk

>100%

Mule Deer

Rock Springs 10 Miles

credit: Tiffani Finley

Range of Grizzly Bears in GYE What are the impacts of climate change and human development on grizzly bear range? In 1975, the Grizzly Bear was designated a threatened species and since that time, wildlife management agencies have reduced the number of bear deaths related to human contact and vehicles, along with aiding cub production. The occupied grizzly area has grown from 15,000 acres (1970) to 37,000 acres (2005), removing the the bear from the threatened species list. Grizzly bears rely on high calorie food sources which they must consume over seven months of the year (the other five of which are spent in hibernation). Their omnivorous diet includes insects, plants and animals available at different times throughout the year, causing seasonal shifts in habitat. In spring, grizzlies will eat the carcusses of elk, bison and early plant growth. In the summer, they primarily feed on elk, cutthroat troat and army cutworm moths. They also prefer to feed on Whitebark Pine seeds in the fall, taking from red squirel seed scavages. The mortality of the WBP species from increased temperatures due to climate change, reduces the abundance of available fall feed, threatening the grizzly bear populations, forcing them into new feeding habitats. With a lack of fall food sources, grizzlies tend to be in more conflict with humans. 85% of adult grizzly deaths are the result of human related activity management removal due to human conflict, personal defence, mistaken identification as black bear, poaching, vehicle strikes and electrocution by downed power lines. The threat of human development on the grizzly species becomes obvious when realizing the extent of their boundaries has been anchored by the edge of civilization. As the interactions between humans and grizzlies increases, so too does the threat to grizzlies’ ability to survive. Interactions with humans leave bears susceptible to harm, prompting the question, do grizzlies have the right to this land?

Yellowstone to Yukon Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Yellowstone and Teton National Park, Rockefeller Parkway Grizzly Range 1990 - 2015

map provided by: Bjornlie, D. D., D. J. Thompson, M. A. Haroldson, C. C. Schwartz, K. A. Gunther, S. L. Cain, D. B. Tyers, K. L. Frey, and B. Aber. 2014. Methods to estimate distribution and range extent of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Wildlife Society Bulletin 38:182–187.

Human Impact Scale Less Impact

Greater Impact

Wildlife Conservation Society - WCS, and Center for International Earth Science Information Network–CIESIN - Columbia University. 2005. Last of the Wild Project, Version 2, 2005 (LWP- 2): Global Human Inﬂ uence Index (HII) Dataset (IGHP). Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). https://doi.org/10.7927/H46W980H. Accessed 05 February 2020.

credit: Nicole Andersson

The Human Footprint in the West

Big Sky Resort

greater human impact

Stillwater Mine, Nye Jackson

Yellowstone to Yukon

Salmon Selway Bitteroot High Divide

lesser human impact

The USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center developed the map below of the human footprint for the western United States. The map was created from an analysis of 14 landscape structure and anthropogenic features: human habitation, interstate highways, federal and state highways, secondary roads, railroads, irrigation canals, power lines, linear feature densities, agricultural land, campgrounds, highway rest stops, land ﬁlls, oil and gas development, and human induced ﬁres. These structures and features became the input for a model to estimate the total human inlfuence on wildlife populations as a result of changes in habitat or predator densities. Leu, M., S.E. Hanser, S.T. Knick. 2008. The human footprint in the west: a large-scale analysis of anthropogenic impacts. Ecological Applications 18(5): 1119-1139.

Future Footprints

Greater Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park

Big Sky is projected to reach the size of Jackson, WY by 2065. Big Sky, MT

Population projection from Mountain Journal article Unnatural Disaster: Will America’s Most Iconic Wild Ecosystem Be Lost To A Tidal Wave Of People? Todd Wilkinson

Bear Smart Big Sky. Photograph accessed on Facebook. Posted November 2019.

Stillwater Mine is projected to be depleted by 2055. The company is planning for closure and reclamation with the intent that people won’t be able to tell there had been a mine at all. If they are successful the mine’s human footprit will remain the same. Stillwater & East Boulder. https://www.sibanyestillwater.com/business/americas/pgm-operationsamericas/stillwater-east-boulder/

Extraction

Recreation greatest human impact

Jackson, WY

Big Sky, MT least human impact

Stillwater Mine Nye, MT

Stillwater Mine Nye, MT 5 km

credit: Sander Story

Can a mine be a better neighbor than a ski hill?

Revenue skiing supports

1,970

seasonal jobs for Montana Trafﬁc

500 new parking

spaces were constructed for the 2019-2020 season

$177 million

economic contribution for the 2018/2019 season

50%

Sibanye-Stillwater directly employeed

1,626 individuals in

2018 at the Stillwater and East Boulder Mines

$500 million

annual, recurring income https://www.sibanyestillwater.com/sustainability/economic-impact/

mine employees are brought in by bus to

of Big Sky employees commute daily

reduce trafﬁc from Billings, Big Timber, and Red Lodge

Economic Drivers

500,000+

skiers visited Big Sky during the 2017/2018 season

credit: Sander Story

Sage, Jeremy L. Economics and Charactersitics of Alpine Skiing in Montana- 2018-2019 Ski Season. Institute for Toursim and Recreation Research, University of Montana. August 2019.

80% of Big

Sky visitors are nonresidents

https://bigsky2025.com/#projects-underway

highest grade source

platinum group metal of

deposits in the world

PGMs are a critical component of catalytic

converters

What’s left when it stops snowing?

According to the Climate Change Indicators report from the EPA... 90% of data stations have seen a stations have seen a decline in April decline in snowfall snowpack between since 1930 across the 1955 and 2016 in United States the west with large and consistent decreases in the northern Rockies

What’s left when the metals are gone?

Good Neighbor Agreement

57% of data

Negotiated in 2000, the Good Neighbor Agreement provides for citizen oversight of mining operations in order to ensure that the area’s quality of life and agricultural land is protected. The agreement focuses on: water quality standards above state guidelines community access to critical information about mining operations ensuring public safety and reducing mining trafﬁc environment excellence through collaboration between local citizens, third party experts, and the mining company https://northernplains.org/issues/good-neighbor-agreement/

Photograph by Colton Stifﬂer. Edit by Mountain Journal.

If these places become ghost towns, what will remain? 42

credit: Sander Story

EPA Climate Change Indicators | Snow + Ice

Trends in April Snowpack from 1955-2016

Canada United States

Snowpack Trend: percent of change > 80 60 to 80 40 to 60

Yellowstone to Yukon region

20 to 40

Greater Yellowstone

0 to 20 0 to -20

Yellowstone National Park

-20 to -40

Ski Area

-40 to -60

National Forest

-60 to -80 Bridger Bowl

< -80

Big Sky

Red Lodge Mountain

Sleeping Giant Grand Targhee Kelly Canyon

Jackson Hole Snow King White Pine

In partnership with more than 40 data-contributing government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations, the EPA reports key indicators that surround the causes and effects of climate change. Indicators include: greenhouse gases, weather and climate, oceans, snow and ice, health and society, and ecosystems. April snowpack measured the throughout the wester United States has seen large and consistent decreases particularly in Washington, Oregon, and the norther Rockies. Snowpack is affected by temperature and precipitation. Trends in snowpack utilize a measurement called snow water equivalent (the amount of water contained within the snowpack at a particular location). Higher temperatures in the spring can cause snow to melter earlier. More precipitation is expected to fall as rain rather than snow which reduces the depth and extent of snowpack. Mountain snowpack is critical to western North America’s water cycle where snow is released as runoff in the spring and summer as snow melts. Millions of people in the West depend on the melting of mountain snowpack for power, irrigation, and drinking water. In most western river basins, snowpack is a larger component of water storage than human-constructed reservoirs. Changes in mountain snowpack can affect agriculture, winter recreation, and tourism in some areas, as well as plants and wildlife. For example, certain types of trees rely on snow for insulation from freezing temperatures, as do some animal species. In addition, ﬁsh spawning could be disrupted if changes in snowpack or snowmelt alter the timing and abundance of streamﬂows

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2016. Climate change indicators in the United States, 2016. Fourth edition. EPA 430-R-16-004. www.epa.gov/climate-indicators.

credit: Sander Story

credit: Aidan Cohen

ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF TOURISM IN GATEWAY TOWNS TOURISM IN GATEWAY TOWNS OF THE GREATER OF THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM

Gateway Towns of Yellowstone National Park Gateway Towns of Yellowstone National Park 7,090 Jobs

7,090 Jobs

Gateway towns of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are Gatewaythriving towns of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem aretowns universally. This mapping shows various thriving that universally. This mapping shows various towns surround Yellowstone, their population, and median that surround Yellowstone, and median income. To the righttheir are apopulation, series of charts that show the income.impacts To the right are a seriespark of charts that showsectors the of the of Yellowstone on difference impactseconomy. of Yellowstone park on difference sectors of the economy.

According to a 2006 report released by the National Acco $513 According to Conservation a 2006 report Association, released by per-capita the National Acco Parks $513 million in income and Parks Conservation Association, per-capita income andhave both million in population in the Yellowstone Gateway region Visitor population in the Gateway region have both VisitorSpending grown by Yellowstone approximately 33% since 1990. Additionally, grown by 33% since 1990.towns Additionally, Spending theapproximately unemployment rate in these are consistently the unemployment rate in these towns below the national average, andare theconsistently income gap below the national average, income gap between the rich andand thethe poor is narrowing. However, the betweenpark the itself rich and the poor is narrowing. However, the economic itsel is not experiencing the same park itself is not experiencing the same economic itsel benefits of tourism that towns in the Yellowstone benefitsGateway of tourism that towns Yellowstone region are. Asinofthe September 30th, 2019 more Gatewaythan region As of 30th, 2019 more $11are. billion in September repairs or maintenance of roads, than $11buildings, billion in utility repairs or maintenance of roads, systems and other structures throughout buildings, anddeferred other structures theutility park systems have been due to a throughout lack of budget. The the parkquantity have been deferredmaintenance due to a lackwork of budget. The to of deferred continues quantitygof deferred maintenance work continues to to increase, $647 million row in Yellowstone as visitorship continues $647 million Yellowstone as visitorship continues increase, grow in but in Economic the maintenance budget remainstostagnent. in Economic but the maintenance budget remains stagnent. Output Output Yellowstone has given so much economic prosperity to Yellowstone has given so much economic prosperity to it’s surrounding gateway towns. Are we giving enough it’s surrounding gateway towns. Are we back to adequately preserve it’s giving diverseenough ecosystem? back to adequately preserve it’s diverse ecosystem? “Yellowstone attracts people from around the country and “Yellowstone attracts fromsignificantly around the country and the world whopeople contribute to the local the world who contribute significantly to the local economies in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The economies in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The economic benefits our neighbors enjoy are a direct result economic benefits ourYellowstone’s neighbors enjoy are a direct result of preserving spectacular thermal features, $224 million of preserving Yellowstone’s spectacular thermal As features, abundant wildlife and dramatic scenery. we look to the$224 million in Labor abundant wildlife and dramatic scenery. As we look to the future, preservation has to be the key value we consider as in Labor Income future, preservation has to be the key value we consider as also we address increasing visitation. Protecting the park add Income we address increasing visitation. Protecting the park also add protects the regional tourism economy.” protects the regional tourism economy.”

Livingston, MT Livingston, MT 7,529 Population:

Cooke City, MT Cooke City, MT 140 Population:

Population: 7,529 Median Income: $38,807 Median Income: $38,807

Population: Median140 Income:$45,625 Median Income:$45,625

Cody, WY

Gardiner, MT Gardiner, MT 875 Population:

Cody,Population: WY 9,885 Population: 9,885 Median Income: $53,597 Median Income: $53,597

Population: Median875 Income: $56,094 Median Income: $56,094

- Former Yellowstone Park Superintendent Daniel Wenk - Former Yellowstone Park Superintendent Daniel Wenk Camping Camping

Restaurants Restaurants

Gas

Retail

Gas

Groceries Groceries Hotels

Hotels

Recreation Industries Recreation Industries

Retail

$375 million $375 million in Value in Value Added Secondary Effects Added Secondary Effects Transportation Transportation

Directly Affected Sectors Directly Affected Sectors

credit: Aidan Cohen

Jackson Hole, WY Jackson Hole, WY10,532 Population:

West Yellowstone, MT West Yellowstone, Population:MT 1,365

Population: 10,532 Median Income: $75,406 Median Income: $75,406

Population: 1,365 Median Income: $32,316 Median Income: $32,316

SOURCES: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/7/3/54 SOURCES: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0145060 https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/7/3/54 https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0145060 https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/19019.htm https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm https://www.codywyomingnet.com/getting_here/west_yellowstone_montana.php https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/19019.htm https://www.yellowstonepark.com/road-trips/livingston-montana https://www.codywyomingnet.com/getting_here/west_yellowstone_montana.php http://www.mitchellgeography.net/map-store/the-wildlands-of-greater-yellowstone https://www.yellowstonepark.com/road-trips/livingston-montana https://www.npr.org/2018/06/07/617936487/yellowstone-national-park-superintendent-i-m-no-longer-wanted http://www.mitchellgeography.net/map-store/the-wildlands-of-greater-yellowstone http://www.explorebigsky.com/economic-impact-of-yellowstone-national-park-tourism-tops-680-million https://www.npr.org/2018/06/07/617936487/yellowstone-national-park-superintendent-i-m-no-longer-wanted https://www.nps.gov/subjects/infrastructure/deferred-maintenance.htm http://www.explorebigsky.com/economic-impact-of-yellowstone-national-park-tourism-tops-680-million https://www.nps.gov/subjects/infrastructure/deferred-maintenance.htm

Economic Effects of Economic Effects of Visitor Spending Visitor Spending

credit: John Sanford

MAPPING HUMAN VALUES IN THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE // ANTHROPOCENTRIC NORTH AMERICA

[continental impacts]

exploration settlement extraction conservation progress

1872

[yellowstone national park founded]

1519

1776

1802

1863

1889

1803 - 1804

[louisiana purchase] introduction of the horse

1899

1912

[montana’s gold rush] [montana corrupt practices act]

corps of discovery

independence [montana statehood]

[anaconda copper mining company]

Humans came into North America at the beginning of the Holocene Epoch some 13,000 years ago, migrating slowly eastward, then south, presumably in the pursuit of food. Until the arrival of Europeans in the late 15th century the people who filled the New World were incredibly diverse and accomplished groups with complex and nuanced cultural histories, traditions, and beliefs. Many groups lived independently of even relatively close neighbors until the Spanish introduction of the horse to North America in 1519. This new means of transportation, paired with the introduction of Christianity, was the first of many groundbreaking value shifts in what has become our Western landscapes as it allowed for indigenous groups to become significantly more nomadic and wide-ranging than previously possible. A relatively quiet period in the West followed until the dawn of the 19th century, when the second president of the young United States, Thomas Jefferson, completed the Louisiana Purchase and sent Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery west to begin the survey and exploration of the lands that have since become the grounds for the expansion of America’s Manifest Destiny, our Heartland, and our playground. This land was parceled out in 40 to 160 acre plots to be sold site-unseen; value projected with ideas unknown. This system is perhaps the most impactful projection on the landscape and its impacts are all but invisible from the ground. The rapid impacts to the Yellowstone Ecosystem did not really begin until the second half of the 19th century with the first wave of emigration to Montana that came with 1863’s Gold Rush, focused on mine cities of Virginia City and Bannock bringing with them the idea of landscape as the focus of extractive industries for the first time in Montana. As able-bodied men came to the region to both explore and expand their own wealth, the nation’s nature-loving Romantics became aware of the Yellowstone Ecosystem. Through the efforts of the young Geological Survey and artists Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran contributed significantly to the effort to conserve the geological and ecological identity of the unique Yellowstone region, giving birth to a new kind of landscape ideal: that which is preserved for the enjoyment of all parties. Unfortunately, this was not a singular shift in global, national, or even local understanding of the value of nature, generating a perfect appreciation and respect for untouched wilds. In fact, the extractive mindset of Montana industries went unchecked well forward into the 20th century as mine companies found ways to establish nigh-plutocratic regimes of state governance which resulted in the emergence of our nation’s earliest progressive anti-corporate legislation with the Montana Corrupt Practices Act of 1912, pushing all corporate money out of public elections.

credit: Saunders Allen

MAPPING HUMAN VALUES IN THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE // ANTHROPOCENTRIC CLIMATE CHANGE exploration settlement extraction conservation BIG SKY OPENS progress

1964

1972 1970

2000

2014

1995

2008 [ecological futures]

OIL CRISIS OIL CRISIS OIL CRISIS

THE WILDERNESS ACT

credit: Saunders Allen

WOLVES reintroduced to yellowstone

ecuador amends constitution to protect nature’s rights to “exist, persist...[and] regenerate...”

stillwater mine GOOD NEIGHBOR agreement

new zealand establishes ENVIRONMENTAL PERSONHOOD federally

In the 20th century, the region’s values became explicit through the major political actions that took place here; the election of a female congressperson (Jeannette Rankin, 1916) before women could legally vote in every state in the Union perhaps most significant. In the study of the values of this Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem we find that the bureaucratic actions of this place are progressive in almost antithetical ways; while acceptance of the views of American Indians progressed slowly, feminism seemed to take-hold early in the state’s founding. Appreciation of the landscape seems clearly evident by the sheer acreage of public lands rivaling that in percentage to any state in the nation. In this age, even mining corporations seem intent on finding ways to serve the landscape in a constructive, wellreciprocated fashion. It has become evident that the love for this landscape is real - the remaining problem is that we may be “loving this place to death.” The ongoing large-scale construction projects of the region, the ever-growing migration of people seeking a better life, a second (or third home) and the development of amenities to make the place more desirable are all growing as threats to the stability of the landscape in their current patterns. The question that remains for us early in the 21st century is simple: will our value of the landscape outweigh our desire to make it ever more accessible and profitable, or will we love this miraculous Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to death?

MAPPING HUMAN VALUES IN THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE // GEOLOGIC TIME

4550 Ma

4000 Ma

2500 Ma

252 Ma 66 Ma 541 Ma 10,000 Years ago [holocene epoch]

humans arrive in north america

[hadean epoch] [archean epoch]

[proterozoic epoch]

[cenozoic epoch] [mezozoic epoch] [paleozoic epoch]

[anthropocene epoch] the ANTHROPOCENE epoch in which we live is so named because it is period that humans first made a permanent and measurable impact on the biosphere. This term was first adopted by a working group of scientist members of the Subcomission on Quarternary Stratigraphy in 2016 and specifically gives name to the historic threshold through which the natural system we inhabit has become one that is impacted most significantly by human-driven change which stands as a threat to the planet’s potential to support human life. It is worth noting that this anthropocene epoch is a tiny blip at the end of the 4 billion year geologic history of the earth comparable to a period on the last page of the encycopledia britannica.

credit: Saunders Allen

Student Projects 51

Development on the Periphery of Yellowstone

Interconnection, Immersion, and the Role of Large Private Land Owners by Aleck Gantick

The communities located within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) are growing at a rapid pace. As people seek to evade endemic social problems prevalent in more densely populated areas, a pandemic health crisis, and seek the high quality of life offered in the region, there is a conflict of interests. The natural wonders that attract people to this region are at risk of being decimated at the hand of development and economic progress. It is somewhat counterintuitive to to think that development can combat the negatives of development. However, as the region grows, we must seek to establish patterns of growth and habitation that encourage a more symbiotic relationship with ecosystem functions and our natural surroundings.

Context

leverage to pursue ecosystem conservation through broad reaching and well-coordinated policy reform. These large swaths of land represent areas of critical importance where continued growth and development patterns could have significant, negative impact on the ecology of the region. In the coming years, these large tracts of land will become more valuable for development. This creates an opportunity for conservation initiatives to intervene or to employ best development practices that promote ecological viability and sustainability. If a large percentage of land is controlled by only a few individuals, those individuals possess the ability to either act in a way that protects ecosystem viability or siphon the remainder of ecological wealth from the landscape. Without a conservation focus on the periphery, the GYE will become a biological island, only a fragment of a once thriving web of ecosystems. There are organizations already working to achieve a similar goal. However, current conservation efforts have resulted in a patchwork of protected lands. Although these lands area a benefit to the local ecology, the regional ecology relies on a larger mass of land to maintain viability.

Problem Statement

It is inevitable that some privately owned lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem will be sold to developers. Many of these individuals lack either knowledge or economic, political, and cultural incentives necessary to keep crucial animal migration routes intact and maintain ecological viability. Is there a way to influence development in critical habitats connected to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem which benefits ecosystem function and 52

humans? Can that development engage community members and visitors to become ecological advocates? Many organizations operate as separate entities with differing strategies to achieve a common goal; preserving the land, ecology, and sustainability of a region. Is there a grass-roots development strategy that leverages the current efforts and value sets of stakeholders that can achieve this common goal? Can biodiversity be leveraged to turn visitors and new residents into environmental advocates?

Proposal Summary

The proposal can be divided into three responses: 1. Create a more prominent threshold condition separating areas acceptable for unrestricted human activity and key ecological zones. These thresholds are not only policy based, but experiential, signifying a need for increased awareness of an individual’s presence in the landscape. 2. Engage large land owners for multi-day ecotourism experiences using specific areas for temporary human habitation. By integrating a large spectrum of ecological educational experiences, the goal is to turn visitors into advocates. 3. Leverage local conservation groups, educational groups, and public lands to create a communitybased event space with a goal of engaging residents as advocates.