Local nonprofit outlines ambassador program and seeks trail counters and small grants

Jennifer, partnership manager for Friends of Bridger Teton, introduced the organization and its 2024 impact report, saying the nonprofit supports work in the Bridger‑Teton National Forest and has built a small local staff. "We are a local nonprofit that supports the 3,400,000 acres of the Bridger Teton National Forest," she said, and described how the group works with a range of partners to fill gaps in seasonal staffing and outreach.

Jennifer described the group's ambassadors program—seasonal educators stationed at busy trailheads to collect data and provide safety and stewardship messaging—and said the organization wants to deploy trail counters on Star Trail and other nearby routes to measure usage and plan mitigation. She noted the ambassadors do not enforce rules: "These roles are not really set forth into the US Forest Service... These are not law enforcement. We don't write tickets," she told council.

She also outlined funding needs and grant work, noting she had applied for a roughly $30,000 allocation from the Sublette County Recreation Board to pump vault toilets across the forest, and asked to continue conversations with the council about potential local support, lodging‑tax partnerships or event collaborations. Council members welcomed the introduction and asked about coordination with existing volunteer crews in the valley; Jennifer said Friends seeks partnerships that will not overcommit USFS staff and will be tailored to local capacity.