Caring for the land,
advocating for its protection, educating for its future
OUR MISSION
WE foster THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PLACE TO FURTHER CONSERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP IN THE GREAT BURN ECOSYSTEM.
WE ENVISION A WILD AND RESILIENT GREAT BURN ECOSYSTEM THAT SUPPORTS THE COMMUNITIES, FLORA, AND FAUNA THAT CALL THIS REGION HOME.
OUR VISION
OUR VALUES
We believe that we are all connected and that everyone is worthy of respect. We engage others with openness, listening, and a spirit of partnership, as we strive to create a more inclusive and equitable outdoor community.
With humility and respect, we seek to honor and cherish the richness and Wild character of the land while being of benefit to the communities that inhabit and surround it.
We seek practical solutions to the challenges before us.
We strive to align our actions with our words; to build authentic and trusting relationships by encouraging open debate without compromising the truth; and to hold ourselves accountable to the highest moral, ethical, and financial standards.
We maintain hope within ourselves and within our communities as we continue to envision and work toward a better future.
OVER 50 YEARS OF CONSERVATION AND CARE
Since 1971, the GBCA has dedicated itself to the keeping and care of the 1.9 million-acre Great Burn Mission Area. Our seasonal crews, ambassadors, and volunteers are essential partners to the US Forest Service and other federal, state, and nonprofit organizations, carrying out targeted restoration and protection projects in the northern Bitterroots.
Our crews are responsible for helping manage, monitor, or maintain:
Access points, trails, and overuse risks
Treatments for invasive plant species to improve habitats for foraging
Habitat restoration for Great Burn wildlife
Backcountry campsites
Frontcountry campsites and public spaces to reduce wildlife attractants
OUR PRIORITIES
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Stewardship projects maintain the characteristics of the land that will keep it eligible for federal protection, accessible to recreators, and healthy for wildlife.
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Advocacy allows us to engage and influence wildlife and land management policies that keep the Great Burn healthy for decades to come.
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Educational programming inspires connection and love of place among K-12 students, with flexible lesson plans and hands-on learning experiences in classrooms or outdoors.
CREW CHRONICLES FROM THE CARETAKERS OF THE BURN
Our work to permanently secure Wild Great Burn spaces continues and wouldn’t be possible without the support of our entire team, from Founder and Director Emeritus, Dale Harris, to our board members, seasonal crews, and volunteers.
Our Impact
In Meeting Halls
Over the past 50 years, we have helped develop and shepherd 16 Congressional Wilderness bills advocating for the Great Burn and Mallard Larkins recommended wilderness areas.
IN THE BURN
In 2025, our trail crews worked on nearly 40 miles of trail. Restoration crews inventoried 218 miles of trail. Twelve volunteer crews contributed 1,577 hours toward campsite inventories, trail improvements, noxious weed pulls, and clean-up efforts.
IN THE CLASSROOM
Our “Environmental Education of the Great Burn” curriculum aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). K-12 educators engage in 30-, 45-, 60-, and 90-minute lessons to supplement their curricula or introduce GBCA experts into their classroom or outdoor settings safely and responsibly.
FAQS
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Your gift goes directly to the landscape, helping protect and maintain the place we love for all who have or will experience the Great Burn. A single $50 donation helps protect one acre of wilderness from development.
A $100 donation helps send a student on a volunteer trip or engage in hands-on education experiences on the Burn. A donation of $250 or more funds trail restoration work, including tools and training, that keeps the land accessible for campers, hikers, and recreators.
For more information, check out our financials and impact reports.National forests must revise their plans every 15 years, but that doesn’t always happen. The Lolo National Forest plan hasn’t been updated since 1986, meaning forest plans can have a significant impact for decades.
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In any given federal land management plan, there are designations or management areas for recreation, industries like timber, and Wilderness. A Wilderness designation, granted by Congress, awards an area the highest level of land protection from commercial enterprises and timber harvesting, among other activities.
A designation for the Mallard Larkins and Great Burn and Mallard Larkins recommended wilderness areas would:
Serve as wildlife habitats and havens for threatened species
Filter and clean the air we breathe
Protect the watershed and provide clean drinking water to communities
Boost nearby economies with tourism and recreation dollars
Provide outstanding places to recreate and to escape the bustle of the modern world
Maintain natural laboratories for education and scientific study, and historical and cultural artifacts
Over the years, administrative policies and some land management plans have put large swaths of the Great Burn ecosystem at risk of roadbuilding, mining, and logging, making our work all the more urgent.
PROTECTING THE BURN
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We believe that to experience the Great Burn is to love it. And one of the best ways to experience it is through a single- or multi-day volunteer trip, guided by Great Burn stewards with intimate knowledge of the landscape. Trips are free, only requiring a refundable deposit, with financial assistance available.
If you can’t commit to a volunteer trip, consider visiting or recreating one of the many spaces suitable for day users, families, kids, and grandparents, like Heart Lake, Trail Lake, and Fish Creek State Park (home to Montana's largest ponderosa pine). Help us keep the land safe by packing out any trash, practicing Leave No Trace principles, and recreating responsibly.
Plenty of people love the Great Burn without being on it. Simple steps like following us on social media, joining our mailing list, and submitting comments in support of the Burn make a greater difference than you know. Making a donation or becoming a friend of the Burn directly supports restoration efforts on the land. -
The US Forest Service (USFS) is the Great Burn’s land manager. The Lolo National Forest manages the Montana portion of our Mission Area, and the Nez Perce Clearwater and Idaho Panhandle National Forests manage the Idaho portion.
It’s not uncommon for our donors, visitors, and friends to think that the GBCA manages the Great Burn. But we are merely its caretakers and advocates. Our stewardship and volunteer work support the land, in partnership with the USFS and other federal, state, and nonprofit organizations.
JOINING OUR EFFORTS
BECOME A FRIEND OF THE BURN
Make any recurring donation, and opt in to receive action alerts, volunteer information, newsletters, and other opportunities to get engaged to become a Friend of the Burn. You’ll join thousands of others who are showing support for permanent protection of this special place, so that it can stay Wild and available for generations to come.
