Yaak Valley Forest Council

What it reported doing in 2024

Community forest watch yvfc's forest watch program advocates for responsible land management that supports wildlife, old-growth forests, and healthy watersheds, in the kootenai while also working to recover the yaak's imperiled population of endangered grizzly bears. In 2024 we protected the yaak's public lands, engaging with the kootenai national forest at every level to protect vital habitat for endangered species and prevent logging of the yaak's carbon- storing old-growth forests. We continued our years-long defense of black ram, knotty pine, norman-mccedar, and trojan defense, and engaged in several new projects proposed by the knf, including the king kong wildlife improvement and forest health project, the ruby snax forest health project, and the why not stardust minerals exploration project, which would allow for harmful dredge mining operations on the yaak river. We continue to monitor illegal motor vehicle use in the knf, where despite agency claims that designated grizzly core habitat is sufficiently protected, yvfc continues to document illicit use. During the 2024 field season, we monitored 56 road barriers, documenting illegal access into vital grizzly bear habitat. While we continue to engage with knf at the project level, we began work on an ecoregional conservation assessment (eca) for the northern rockies ecoregion with drs dellasala and africanis of wildheritage, to establish a scientific baseline documenting qualities that make the yaak a conservation priority and serve as management guidelines for the proposed black ram climate refuge. In late september we brought together local citizens, scientists, and non-profit organizations to review the preliminary findings at a workshop in missoula. With the help of these partners, we are developing a conservation framework to produce a science-based publication and online conservation atlas that will be used to expand forest protections while recommending effective ways to reduce risks to communities from wildfires and climate change.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 84.8%; rating input score 85
• Program expense ratio: 77.7%; rating input score 78
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.02 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -9%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.33; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3.8%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.6% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings