Simms Donates $10K-Plus to Yellowstone River Recovery

Simms Fishing Products announced Tuesday that it is donating $10,000 to Montana Freshwater Partners’s Yellowstone River Stewardship Campaign for Giving Tuesday. The campaign was created to engage the community, out of state visitors, and business to give back to projects that support the overall health and vitality of the Yellowstone River.

The campaign came about in response to the early June 2022 Yellowstone River flooding, which was due to a combination of an unusual atmospheric rain event and warm overnight temperatures that coincided with Montana’s peak runoff and resulted in a devastating 500-year flood event. Due to the catastrophic flood, all five entrances to Yellowstone National Park closed, thousands of park visitors were evacuated, and bridges, houses, and roadways were completely swept away leaving millions of dollars in damages behind and years of rejuvenation ahead.

“It’s hard to put into words what the Yellowstone River and ecosystem mean to us here at Simms. On the surface, it’s a picturesque, iconic trout fishery but in reality, it’s so much more than that. It’s where we unwind, recreate, create unforgettable memories and forge lifelong family bonds and friendships. The surrounding communities and lifestyle that comes with it truly embody our Fish It Well philosophy,” says Diane Bristol, Simms VP of Community & Culture. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Montana Freshwater Partners and couldn’t be more excited to utilize a product that’s so synonymous with our brand to help restore this a national treasure that runs through our backyard.”

The announcement comes as Simms prepares to launch the all-new Watershed Stockingfoot Wader, a new Gore-Tex® wader patterned on the award-winning G3, which will lend additional financial aid to the Yellowstone ecosystem. The Watershed Wader will be available in January of 2023 and through their sales, an additional $50,000 contribution will be made to the campaign and its continued efforts. The total contribution will go through a fund that’s been established through Montana Freshwater Partners, a 501c3 non-profit organization based in Livingston, Montana.

“The Yellowstone Stewardship Campaign was developed as a way for those who love and appreciate the Yellowstone to help protect it in a meaningful way,” says Wendy Weaver, Montana Freshwater Partners Executive Director. “It’s a grass roots effort to engage the community in directly funding projects that protect its health and resiliency, especially in the face of increased recreational use pressure, drought, and the aftermath of the flood. Simms has become a generous partner in this endeavor and we are incredibly thankful for their support and genuine interest to help protect this iconic river.”