Yellowstone Ecosystem
Our partnerships across Greater Yellowstone have retired over 435,000 acres of grazing leases and helped communities prevent conflicts between grizzlies and people.
Yellowstone National Park is the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, but this vast and wild region spans more than 20 million acres, from Grand Teton National Park to other federal, state and private lands in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. The Yellowstone grizzly population has expanded its numbers and range since the 1970s, and now totals at least 700 bears, according to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee. As human development continues within the region, Vital Ground remains committed to ensuring that Yellowstone’s grizzly population always has room to roam. While we do not currently pursue conservation easements or land purchases in the area, our partner projects have retired numerous conflict-prone grazing leases and helped prepare communities for the presence of a wider-ranging grizzly population. Learn more on our Conservation Partners page.
Other Habitat Projects
in Grizzly Recovery Ecosystems
Vital Ground protects and restores habitat for grizzly bears and other wildlife, connecting the wild strongholds of the Northern Rockies. We group our projects based on the grizzly’s six federally-designated recovery zones, working to link these core areas into one resilient landscape.