JACKSON, Wyo. — The Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) has released its 2025 year in review report. The agency operated with limited staff capacity last year, after losing a number of employees in a mass-layoff in February, which resulted in a hyper-focus of five main priorities for the year.

Top priorities in the report include: “put fires out (safely)” and “keep stuff open (offices and recreational sites).” The next three priorities focused on increasing timber shelf stock by 25%; addressing a backlog of special-use permits; and making progress on the Forest Plan Revision Assessment. Beyond the priority work, BTNF staff carried out other work related to the 100-year anniversary of the Gros Ventre Slide, the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center (BTAC), the Nelson Drive housing project, Snake River Canyon recreation permits, vegetation management and wildlife. The report was dedicated to the “commitment and service” of three team members who died in 2025, including Teton Pass Ambassador Jay Pistono.

In a joint leadership message in the report, Forest Supervisor Chad Hudson and Deputy Forest Supervisor Bekee Hotze said the following: “In 2025, our Forest staff and partners showed exceptional resilience throughout the year. Despite these challenges, we faced them together and our commitment to the Forest Service mission and the communities we serve remained strong. … Together, staff made meaningful progress where it mattered most.”

Last year, BTNF suppressed 94% of wildfires on initial attack. Forest staff extinguished 128 abandoned campfires. Four notable wildfires took place on the BTNF in 2025: Horse Fire, Burnt Creek Fire, Willow Creek Fire and Dollar Lake Fire. Aside from putting fires out, BTNF workers treated 10,000 acres of forest land to reduce hazardous fuels. This included the mechanical harvesting of 165 acres along Phillips Ridge, the location of Jackson’s primary source power transmission line. This project also contributed to the priority of increasing timber stock, as the decked timber is available for public firewood harvest on Teton Pass.

Phillips Ridge Fuels Reduction Project. Photo: USDA Forest Service

Keeping offices and recreational sites open throughout 2025 was a challenge and a priority, as BTNF had about 36% less non-firefighting staff, with “uneven impacts across disciplines and districts.” On the Jackson Ranger District, BTNF staff refurbished interpretive signs and performed trail maintenance with local partners to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gros Ventre Slide, one of the largest recorded landslides in U.S. history.

Bridger-Teton staff and volunteers repaint the Gros Ventre Slide Geological Site infrastructure. Photo: USDA Forest Service

According to the report, BTNF has the largest permitted outfitter and guide program in the lower 48 states. By the end of the fiscal year, the special-use permit backlog had been reduced by over 50%. The final priority of working on the Forest Plan will continue, but progress was made in 2025 through multiple open houses and a 45-day public comment period that saw 441 comments submitted.

Beyond the five priorities, BTNF worked on the following tasks:

Swiftwater rescue training. Photo: USDA Forest Service
  • BTAC reconfigured and expanded forecast zones, installed new weather stations and upgraded data collection equipment. Over 130 human-triggered avalanches were documented, with more than 700 public and professional observations.
  • The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 requires at least 80% of recreation fees to remain on the forests where they were collected. In the Jackson Ranger District, these funds were used for materials in the Gros Ventre Slide project; maintaining toilets, including in the winter; trail and river crew purchases and a swiftwater rescue refresher course; vehicle maintenance; and batteries for devices that check avalanche beacons.
  • BTNF is issuing a special-use permit to the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust for a 36-home project at the Nelson Drive Trailhead. The complex will include 13 units dedicated to BTNF employees.
  • The Snake River Special Recreation Fee Program was launched in May 2025, rolling out a new permitting system for users of the Snake River between Astoria and Sheep Gulch. “River rangers emphasized education and compliance throughout the season, supported by clear signage and structured follow-up,” the report reads. Over 18,000 boats passed through the whitewater section by the end of the season.
  • BTNF participated in nine Tribal consultations with eight participating Tribes. These meetings updated Tribal leadership on Forest Service work, regulations and responsibilities.
  • Regarding wildlife — staff conducted bumble bee surveys to support the Mountain States Bumble Bee Atlas; coordinated public safety messages about wildlife viewing and food storage regulations near Togwotee Pass; hosted wildlife and habitat education programs at local schools; and removed over one mile of “dilapidated barbed wire” to encourage wildlife migration.

Monica is a Staff Reporter who studied journalism at Syracuse University and has been in the valley since 2015. She loves writing about the local food and bev scene, especially craft beer. When she’s not on the clock, you can find her paddle boarding, sewing, or whipping up a new recipe at home.