Although the Yellowstone to Yukon region is large and astonishingly diverse, it is still affected by activities which impact the entire region, either directly or through a domino effect. Taken project by project, site by site, situation by situation, the impacts might seem negligible, given the size of the landscape. But there isn’t one project, one site, one situation; there are multitudes. The resulting cumulative effects – of roads, mines, dams, timber harvest, infrastructure for oil and gas development, sprawling towns – are enough to irrevocably alter the Y2Y environment as a whole, and the wildlife and human communities living within it.

Currently, significant issues of concern include resource extraction, negative human-wildlife interactions, rapid human population growth, transportation infrastructure, climate change and the need to coordinate land use. Human activity is at the root of these problems. However, people are working across the region to address them. Through commitment, creative efforts, and cooperation, we can address the serious issues facing the Y2Y region, and ensure a healthy future for its land, wildlife, and human communities.