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In spring 2019, the park announced new strategic priorities that will guide decision making over the next five years. The priorities revolve around the concepts of core, resources, experience, infrastructure, and partnerships. Superintendent Cam Sholly and the senior leadership team developed these priorities with significant input from field staff around the park. Each priority has key focus areas and a range of measurable actions that will continually be refined as work progresses.
Focusing on the Core
Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly and Civil Engineer Kyle Stone cut a ribbon in front of brand-new employee housing in Mammoth Hot Springs.
NPS / Jacob Frank
Focus areas and actions:
Support the Yellowstone team first Improve employee housing, work conditions, health and wellness, team engagement, interdivisional respect and collaboration, accountability, professional development, hiring processes, internal communications.
Improve strategic management and business acumen platforms Improve financial management practices, priority setting processes, project formulation, workforce performance.
Advance operational/organizational alignment and effectiveness Develop more efficient operational and programmatic alignments to improve resource sharing, communications, and organizational performance.
Strengthening the Yellowstone Ecosystem & Heritage Resources
A bull bison standing in the road on a windy day near Swan Lake.
NPS / Jacob W. Frank
Focus areas and actions:
Advance and sustain the Yellowstone ecosystem Understand/Respond more effectively to climate change impacts; advance and sustain wildlife management and large landscape conservation efforts, identify new cooperative conservation opportunities with states and partners; continue building scientific capacity to improve decision making; improve environmental sustainability
Protect, preserve, and improve cultural resources Understand/Respond to environmental changes affecting cultural resources, build effective climate adaptation strategies and response planning, improve conditions of historic structures, protect archeological sites, collections, and archives; promote Tribal heritage and collaboration.
Ensure effective resource planning and compliance Integrate NEPA, NHPA, legal requirements effectively into internal decision processes.
Advance sustainability Lead/Deliver on sustainability issues and collaborate with partners; Improve energy conservation and renewable technologies; Improve water management and efficiencies/upgrades in treatment plants, pipes, and fixtures; Reduce fuel use and GHG emissions by transforming size, types of vehicles, and technologies; Reduce waste and prevent pollution; Adapt infrastructure to a changing climate; Inventory, identify, map, and evaluate bone yards, dump sites, and environmental and hazardous waste locations.
Park ranger Linda Veress at North Entrance handing out a park map.
NPS / Jacob Frank
Focus areas and actions:
Understand and respond to increased visitor use Develop effective visitor use strategy that focuses on protecting park resources, staffing/infrastructure, improving visitor enjoyment/recreation opportunities, and collaborating with gateway communities.
Protect people and resources Provide high levels of public safety, law enforcement, resource protection, emergency response, and other related services.
Connect people to Yellowstone Build world-class interpretive and educational experiences/programs using innovative technology, youth and community outreach, and citizen services.
Improve visitor services and amenities Provide exceptional facilities and amenities relating to accessibility, connectivity, recreational opportunities, and sustainable practices.
New viewpoint and pullouts on the Tower to Chittenden Road Improvement Project (near Dunraven Pass).
NPS / Jacob W. Frank
Focus areas and actions:
Build effective administrative framework Develop infrastructure investment strategy, improve condition data, project scoping, planning and design processes, and short and long-term fund source priorities
Improve condition of employee housing and workspaces Improve existing housing, replace obsolete housing, identify external housing partnership opportunities.
Improve and maintain condition of transportation-related infrastructure Improve condition of park bridges, roads, parking lots, and other transportation priorities.
Improve condition of historic structures and other cultural resource Rehabilitate condition of high-priority historic assets.
Improve condition of visitor service and public health-related infrastructure Improve condition of wastewater critical systems and fresh water critical systems; Liquid propane gas and electrical generation/distribution systems; Entrance stations, amphitheaters, and campgrounds; Concession-assigned facilities and infrastructure; Trails, boardwalks, and marinas.
A group of people representing several park partner organizations at the Teepee Village in Madison Junction (the Teepee Village is an installation part of Mountain Time Arts' series titled "Yellowstone Revealed") during Yellowstone's 150th anniversary in 2022.
NPS / Jacob W. Frank
Focus areas and actions:
Become a higher-performing Yellowstone team Build relationships within/across division, district, and programmatic boundaries; Seek new ways of collaboration/partnership for the benefit of One Yellowstone; Actively communicate across all park and NPS levels.
Strengthen Yellowstone Forever and philanthropic capacity Support ongoing capital/programmatic investments with Yellowstone Forever; Continue building a robust philanthropic platform; Collaboratively develop/prioritize future projects.
Build trust with gateway communities Strengthen partner relations with gateway community leaders; Communicate on regular schedules with community stakeholders; Develop responsive actions and mutual collaboration areas.
Honor Tribal legacies and heritage Cultivate close relationships with Tribes; Convey appropriate Native American heritage through education, public outreach, and programming efforts and Tribal connections.
Cultivate relationships with elected officials Build and maintain strong relationships with members of Congress; Strengthen close relationships with political officials at state/local levels.
Strengthen conservation, environmental, business and recreation coalitions Cultivate close relationships with conservation, concessioner, business, recreation, and environmental partners who share values consistent with the NPS mission and Yellowstone.
