Archives West Finding Aid

This series is the most extensive portion of the collection and consists of files created by Joe Gutkoski related to his environmental activism. After his death, Gutkoski's friends and fellow activists compiled his files related to his political organizing activities. These files reflect his work on wild and scenic rivers, bison, prairie restoration, and wilderness conservation in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. They date from the 1960s to 2021 and include Gutkoski's handwritten notes, research, drafts of speeches and essays, correspondence, draft legislation, newspaper clippings, and magazine articles. Included among his files are notes on meetings with other activists and local and regional politicians.

Gutkoski's organizing related to bison and wild and scenic rivers are most well represented in his files, however, these topics also touch on other issues including economic development and recreation near wilderness areas.

This series contains extensive photographic documentation of wilderness areas and wildlife compiled by Joe Gutkoski. Photos largely document Montana, Wyoming, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but also feature locations in Alaska and Canada. Most of the photos are grouped by general location and topic, and many contain additional identifying inscription written on the back of individual photos by Gutkoski. Because photos in this series frequently provide clear documentation of location and date, they will be valuable resources for researchers seeking to see how these wilderness areas have changed over time.

The areas that are documented most heavily are the Absaroka, Beartooth, Bridger, Gallatin, and Madison mountain ranges. Other areas that are well documented are the Missouri and Smith rivers. In addition to location-based photographs Gutkoski also maintained topical albums on wildlife, historic structures, national parks, as well a film reels from hike and camping trips throughout the region.

This series contain maps of wilderness area and Montana rivers. The majority of the maps are US Geological Survey (USGS) maps. In many cases Gutkoski taped together small map sections to combine them into broader areas. Many of the maps also contain annotations by Gutkoski related to his conservation work. One map in the collection of the Burnt Creek Hunting Area is an original hand-drawn map created by Gutkoski. The wilderness areas represented in the maps are similar to those documented in Series 2: Photographs, and largely focus on southern Montana, northern Wyoming, Canada, and Alaska.

This series also contains several drawings of Bozeman Pond that Gutkoski created as part of his work as a landscape architect.