Strategic Priorities

2023 State of the Park report

Yellowstone is proud to release a 2023 State of the Park report that highlights the immense progress made by the park's teams and partners over the past two years, along with goals for the next two years and beyond. The report also covers how Yellowstone performed through unprecedented challenges, such as the 2022 flood event, and outlines the park's 150th anniversary commemoration.

 

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

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.

 

Learn how Yellowstone is

Focusing on the CORE Learn More

 

Strengthening the Yellowstone Ecosystem & Heritage RESOURCES

 

A bull bison standing in the road on a windy day near Swan Lake.

NPS / Jacob W. Frank

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.

 

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Strengthening Ecosystem & RESOURCES Learn More

 

Delivering a World-Class Visitor EXPERIENCE

 

Park ranger Linda Veress at North Entrance handing out a park map.

NPS / Jacob Frank

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.

 

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Delivering Visitor EXPERIENCE Learn More

 

Investing in INFRASTRUCTURE

 

New viewpoint and pullouts on the Tower to Chittenden Road Improvement Project (near Dunraven Pass).

NPS / Jacob W. Frank

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 resources

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.

 

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Investing in INFRASTRUCTURE Learn More

 

Building Coalitions & PARTNERSHIPS

 

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

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.

 

Learn how Yellowstone is

Building Coalitions & PARTNERSHIPS Learn More