Based on the best scientific monitoring and information available, Vital Ground considers private lands conservation imperative to the recovery of the threatened grizzly bear and critical to maintaining and enhancing the public values of surrounding public lands. Vital Ground's conservation easements and land acquisitions permanently safeguard the core wildlife habitat characteristics unique to each project property while maintaining and enhancing essential habitat and wildlife corridors on a landscape scale.
Since its founding in 1990, Vital Ground has helped to protect and enhance nearly 600,000 acres of crucial grizzly habitat in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska, and British Columbia.
PROJECTS (Choose by Year or by Ecosystem; click project name for a full description)
By Year
By Ecosystem - Alaska, Greater Yellowstone, Northern Continental Divide, Purcell/Cabinet-Yaak, Selkirk
2009
Trego Sanitation Project, Trego, Montana, Purcell/Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem Bismark Meadows-Parcel C Acquisition (57 acres), northern Idaho, Selkirk Ecosystem Cedar Creek Conservation Easement (160 acres), northwestern Montana, near Glacier National Park, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem2008
Curley Creek Conservation Easements (110 acres), Boundary County, Idaho, near ID/MT border
Schatz Ranch Conservation Easement (1,565 acres), near Helena, Montana, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Darkwoods Project (136,000 acres), British Columbia, Selkirk Ecosystem
Bismark Meadows-Parcel B Acquistion (90 acres), northern Idaho, Selkirk Ecosystem
Dunoir Grazing Allotment (34,500 acres), Shoshone National Forest, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
2007
Cooney Creek Conservation Easement (320 acres), Swan Valley, Montana, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem McKay Creek Conservation Easement (110 acres), Swan Valley, Montana, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Condon Creek Conservation Easement (160 acres), Swan Valley, Montana, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Kidd Creek Project (88 acres)-British Columbia, Canada, Purcell/Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem Clifty View Foothills Forest Legacy Project (1,647 acres), Cabinet Mountains, Bonners Ferry, ID, Purcell/Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem Bacon Creek/Fish Creek Grazing Allotment Retirement (178,000 acres), Bridger-Teton National Forest, WY, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem 2006
Ingersoll Ranch (4,229 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Swanson Ranch (4,354 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
2005
Goodnews Lake-Togiak Acquisitions-A (30 acres), Togniak National Wildlife Refuge, AK
Goodnews Lake-Togiak Acquisitions-B (230 acres), Togniak National Wildlife Refuge, AK
Goodnews Lake-Togiak Acquisitions-C (160 acres), Togniak National Wildlife Refuge, AK
Alagnak River Acquisition (100 acres), Katmai National Park, AK
Priest Creek (5 acres), Lake Clark National Park, AK
Ash Mountain-Iron Mountain Allotment (74,000 acres), Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, MT
Coyote Forest (80 acres), Swan Valley, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Bismark Meadows-Parcel A Acquistion (19 acres), northern Idaho, Selkirk Ecosystem
Weiler Donation (43 acres), Kootenai Valley, ID, Selkirk Ecosystem
2004
Wood-Tikchik Phase I (241 acres), Wood Tikchik State Park, AK
Wood-Tikchik Phase II (110 acres), Wood Tikchik State Park, AK
Campbell/Fuqua (160 acres), Yaak Valley (Fowler Creek), MT, Purcell/Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem
Horse Butte Allotment (2,400 acres), Gallatin National Forest, MT, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Blackfoot-Clearwater (3,834 acres), Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Mud Lake (484 acres), Flathead Valley (Wolf Creek), MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Windfall Creek (80 acres), Swan Valley, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Rising Wolf Ranch (164 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
2003
Crawford Ranch (1,977 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Mickelson Allotment (12,526 acres), Caribou-Targhee National Forest, ID, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Moose Creek Allotment (24,500 acres), Caribou-Targhee National Forest, WY, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Blackrock-Spread Creek Allotment (87,500 acres), Bridger-Teton National Forest, WY, Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Smith Creek Uplands (771 acres), Kootenai Valley, ID, Selkirk Ecosystem
2002
Perenosa Bay (4,400 acres), Afognak Island, AK
Parocai (470 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
2001
Brown's Lagoon-Uyak Bay Phase II (10 acres), Kodiak Island, AK
Durocher-Rappold (2,086 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Theodore Roosevelt Ranch (Boone & Crockett Club), Rocky Mountain Front, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Boundary Creek Overlook (20 acres), Boundary Creek Wilderness Management Area, ID, Selkirk Ecosystem
2000
Malutin Native-Sturgeon Lagoon (145 acres), Kokiak Island, AK
Uyak Bay Phase I (10 acres), Kodiak Island, AK
1997
Dellwo Ranch (5,960 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
1996
Bass (115 acres), Yaak Valley, MT, Purcell/Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem
1995
Poston-Lance (160 acres), Kootenai National Forest (Dodge Creek), MT, Purcell/Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem
1991
Toy Property (240 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Goodnews Lake-Togiak Acquisitions-A (30 acres), Togniak National Wildlife Refuge, AK
Goodnews Lake-Togiak Acquisitions-B (230 acres), Togniak National Wildlife Refuge, AK
Goodnews Lake-Togiak Acquisitions-C (160 acres), Togniak National Wildlife Refuge, AK
Alagnak River Acquisition (100 acres), Katmai National Park, AK
Priest Creek (5 acres), Lake Clark National Park, AK
Wood-Tikchik Phase I (241 acres), Wood Tikchik State Park, AK
Wood-Tikchik Phase II (110 acres), Wood Tikchik State Park, AK
Perenosa Bay (4,400 acres), Afognak Island, AK
Malutin Native-Sturgeon Lagoon (145 acres), Kokiak Island, AK
Uyak Bay Phase I (10 acres), Kodiak Island, AK
Brown's Lagoon-Uyak Bay Phase II (10 acres), Kodiak Island, AK
Dunoir Grazing Allotment (49,000 acres), Shoshone National Forest, WY
Bacon Creek/Fish Creek Grazing Allotment Retirement (178,000 acres), Bridger-Teton National Forest, WY
Ash Mountain-Iron Mountain Allotment (74,000 acres), Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, MT
Horse Butte Allotment (2,400 acres), Gallatin National Forest, MT
Mickelson Allotment (12,526 acres), Caribou-Targhee National Forest, ID
Moose Creek Allotment (24,500 acres), Caribou-Targhee National Forest, WY
Blackrock-Spread Creek Allotment (87,500 acres), Bridger-Teton National Forest, WY
Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
Trego
Sanitation Project, Trego, Montana, Purcell/Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem
Schatz Ranch Conservation Easement (1,565 acres), near Helena, MT
Cooney Creek Conservation Easement (320 acres), Swan Valley, MT
McKay Creek Conservation Easement (110 acres), Swan Valley, MT
Condon Creek Conservation Easement (160 acres), Swan Valley, MT
Ingersoll Ranch (4,229 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT
Swanson Ranch (4,354 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT
Coyote Forest (80 acres), Swan Valley, MT
Blackfoot-Clearwater (3,834 acres), Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area, MT
Mud Lake (484 acres), Flathead Valley (Wolf Creek), MT
Windfall Creek (80 acres), Swan Valley, MT
Rising Wolf Ranch (164 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT
Crawford Ranch (1,977 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT
Parocai (470 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT
Durocher-Rappold (2,086 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT
Theodore Roosevelt Ranch (Boone & Crockett Club), Rocky Mountain Front, MT
Dellwo Ranch (5,960 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT
Toy Property (240 acres), Rocky Mountain Front, MT
Cedar Creek Conservation Easement (160 acres), northwestern Montana, near Glacier National Park
Purcell/Cabinet-Yaak
Curley Creek Conservation Easements (110 acres), Boundary County, ID
Campbell/Fuqua (160 acres), Yaak Valley (Fowler Creek), MT
Kidd Creek Project (88 acres)-British Columbia, Canada
Clifty View Foothills Forest Legacy Project (1,647 acres), Cabinet Mountains, Bonners Ferry, ID
Bass (115 acres), Yaak Valley, MT
Poston-Lance (160 acres), Kootenai National Forest (Dodge Creek), MT
Selkirk Ecosystem
Bismark Meadows-Parcel A Acquistion (19 acres), northern ID
Bismark Meadows-Parcel B Acquistion (90 acres), northern ID
Bismark Meadows-Parcel C Acquisition (57 acres), northern ID
Weiler Donation (43 acres), Kootenai Valley, ID
Smith Creek Uplands (771 acres), Kootenai Valley, ID
Boundary Creek Overlook (20 acres), Boundary Creek Wilderness Management Area, ID
Darkwoods Project (136,000 acres), British Columbia