Do You Give a Hoot about PCEC?

How do you know summer has arrived in Park County? Early giving through Give a Hoot is underway! We would love to get off to a strong start with your support.

Last year, I shared with you my personal story of how I came to call this place home. When my husband, who was born in Pine Creek, first brought me here, I was simply overwhelmed that a place could be so beautiful. I was even more overwhelmed by the thought that one could live here, and have been grateful ever since to raise my family in Park County. 

Over the course of my 15 months at PCEC, I have heard similar stories from so many of you: from multi-generational families watching their grandkids grow up here, to the friend who ran out of gas on a road trip and never left, to the fellow driving down East River Road for the first time who placed an immediate call to his family to declare their new residency. Story after story reveals how deeply those of us who call this place home connect to the landscape, the wildlife, the small town way of life set against the most breathtaking of western backdrops. 

I think we all know, too, that this place is changing. This week, our partner Ecoflight returned to give stakeholders a birdseye view of the wildland urban interface and to discuss the reality of wildfire locally. Last year, one participant in a separate Ecoflight remarked to me that after living here for 30 years she finally understood just how many developed parcels of land dot the landscape – and how many of those did not exist even five years ago. 

While we grapple with growth and development, we believe that it is paramount that we have local voices at the table to make decisions about the future of our home. And that necessity is precisely why Protect is the first of our five Strategic Priorities, representing over half of our operational spending in 2025. 

Over the past year, we have had some significant accomplishments in this regard. We successfully galvanized the community to express how strongly we oppose a multi-decade lease for a Gravel Pit on public lands north of Emigrant. We supported the residents of Suce Creek to create a citizen-initiated zoning district, protecting that drainage from a multi-million-dollar resort development. 

PCEC has many superpowers. We show up. We pay attention. We lead from behind. We let you know when and where to show up, too, ensuring our collective voices are heard. We keep our ears to the ground and lean into our networks to sound the alarm bell when urgency rises. 

That is why we are asking you to help us support our organization, so that we can continue to do the critical work to protect our home. Constant vigilance requires resources. With your early gift you will help ensure that PCEC can remain your local conservation stalwart, preserving the land, water, air, wildlife, and people of Yellowstone’s Northern Gateway.