In response to a request from the citizens of Park County, Montana’s former Governor Marc Racicot created the Task Force in November 1997.  County residents had experienced back-to-back, near 100-year floods in 1996 and 1997, and consequently recognized the need for a more comprehensive and consolidated planning effort for the upper Yellowstone River.  
     Following her predecessor’s lead, Montana’s current Governor Judy Martz reappointed the Task Force to a third and final, two-year term on August 21, 2001. 
     As directed by the Governor’s executive order, the purpose of the Task Force is “to provide a forum for the discussion of issues that effect the Upper Yellowstone River Basin, particularly, to bring together landowners, sportsmen and sportswomen, and community leaders to develop a shared understanding of the issues and competing values and uses that impact the upper Yellowstone River.”  Further, the Task Force is directed to (1) bring together many diverse groups, who have an interest in the upper Yellowstone River, and (2) ensure that future projects affecting the river are planned and conducted in a manner that will preserve the integrity, beauty, values, and function of the upper Yellowstone River for Montanans now and in the future.  
     The Task Force functions as a structured non-regulatory organization that involves citizens, communities, and governmental agencies.  The overall goal of the Task Force is to develop a set of publicly-supported river corridor management recommendations that address potential adverse cumulative effects of river channel modification, floodplain development, and natural events on the human community and riparian ecosystem.

What constitutes the Upper Yellowstone River Basin?
     The Upper Yellowstone River Basin—also termed the Upper Yellowstone River Study Area—is defined as that reach of river (including its tributaries), beginning at the Yellowstone National Park boundary at Gardiner, Montana and extending downstream to the bridge crossing at Springdale, Montana.

Funding
     The Task Force is directed by the Governor  “... to seek or encourage others to seek grants, funds or other cooperative arrangements to implement recommendations of the Task Force.”   The Task Force has secured several grants that fund the Cumulative Effects studies listed below and support our staff coordinator. The above-mentioned governmental agencies also generously donate technical support to this important upper Yellowstone River effort.

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