Joe Gutkoski papers, 1950-2021

This sub-series contains topical files maintained by Joe Gutkoski. They focus primarily on bison and efforts to create free ranging bison habit through initiatives like the Big Open and the American Prairie Reserve. Files feature Gutkoski's notes and research in support of his conservation activism including correspondence, legislative proposals, and legal documents. Many relate directly to Gutkoski's leadership roles in organizations including the American Buffalo Foundation, Montana Buffalo Foundation, and Yellowstone Buffalo Foundation.

Files in this sub-series also focus heavily on protection of wild and scenic rivers and stream access in Montana.

This sub-series also contains topical files complied by Gutkoski. They document his work on topics including wilderness, wetlands, clean water, public access, mountaineering, habitat, and wildlife protections. They largely date from late 1990s-early 2000s, but also include some documents from the 1970s and 1980s.

These files also feature handwritten note by Nancy Schultz at the beginning of each folder explaining the contents and Gutkoski's connection to them.

Photos in this sub-series feature prints, negatives, and slides related to wilderness areas and other topics of interest to Joe Gutkoski. Gutkoski compiled albums based on wilderness area, river system, mountain range, and topic. Within these albums he often further divided the photos into even more specific area. Photos in these albums span several decades from the 1970s to the 2010s. Most of the wilderness areas documented are located around Bozeman and southwest Montana, including the Gallatin, Beartooth, Absaroka, and Madison ranges. Other areas that are documented include, the Smith River, the Missouri River, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Other topical albums reflect Gutkoski's work for the forest service and document historic structures, wildlife, and land damage in wilderness areas.

Many photographic prints have corresponding negatives, some do not. In other cases, there are negatives that do not have corresponding prints. Grouped photos that were not included in the albums were scanned prior to donation to MSU. These photographs may have originated in the photo albums and might correspond to some of the negatives.

Photos in this sub-series are from camera rolls taken by Gutkoski between the 1970s and 2014. The photos are likely dated on the day the rolls were developed, although they may document events captured in the months or weeks preceding the dates written on the envelope. These photos largely depict river floats, hikes, and camping trips Gutkoski took with friends and family. Photos of rivers focus heavily on the Madison, Missouri, and Smith Rivers. Photos of hikes focus most heavily on the Absaroka, Gallatin, and Madison ranges.