Selkirk Ecosystem
Located in northernmost Idaho, the northeast corner of Washington, and the southern tip of British Columbia, the 2,200 square-mile Selkirk Ecosystem is the smallest of the grizzly recovery zones and home to a population of only 40 to 50 grizzlies (Servheen 2006) on the U.S. side of the border. This region is a narrow peninsula of grizzly habitat that extends down from Canada, yet recent research indicates that the Selkirk bears in the U.S. are now genetically isolated from other populations. Maintaining habitat connections to bears in Canada to the north and in the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem to the east is essential to sustain and recover the Selkirk population. Through solo projects and partnerships, Vital Ground has helped protect approximately 137,000 acres in the ecosystem in Idaho and British Columbia.
Selkirk Projects:
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
