News
Vital Ground’s news page keeps you updated on press releases, upcoming events, campaigns and stories.
In the News: Conservation Victories, Grizzlies and Us, and Much More!
Habitat Wins and Other Stories from Across Grizzly Country Winter has arrived, with snow blanketing the Northern Rockies and bears ...
Top Stories of 2021: In Unprecedented Times, An Unprecedented Year for Conservation
How You Helped Wildlife More Than Ever in 2021 Happy New Year! As we enter 2022, all of us at ...
Vital Ground, Hubbard Family Conserve Northern Idaho Farmland and Wildlife Habitat
USDA-Backed 1,040-Acre Conservation Agreement Helps Maintain Kootenai Valley Working Lands NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BONNER’S FERRY, Idaho – At the ...
Vital Ground Adds Acres to Northwestern Montana Conservation Project
Fowler Creek Expansion Secures Wetland Habitat for Yaak Valley Grizzlies NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE YAAK, Mont. – Nestled amid the ...
Vital Ground Conserves Prized Habitat Outside Glacier National Park
Conservation Agreement Near Fast-Growing Town of Whitefish Saves Key Acres for Grizzlies NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WHITEFISH, Mont. – A ...
Vital Ground Expands Swan Valley Conservation Corridor
Land Purchase Stabilizes Key Habitat Connection for Grizzlies NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MISSOULA, Mont. – Grizzly bears in western Montana ...
Vital Ground Mourns the Passing of Bart the Bear II
Dear Vital Ground community, It is with great sadness that I share the news that our beloved ambassador, Bart the ...
Four-Fifths a Grizzly: Doug Chadwick to Discuss New Book on December 7
Join the Vital Ground Community for an Online Book Talk and Conservation Conversation UPDATE: Thanks to our 100+ attendees who ...
Meet Black Bear River, Vital Ground’s Newest Business Partner
Look Good and Support Wildlife Conservation with “Apparel for the Adventurous” For many of us in the conservation world, outdoor ...
Partners on the Land: The Cinnabar Foundation
Longtime Conservation Fund a Crucial Teammate in One Landscape Vision Just as it takes a diverse range of species to ...
Mapping One Landscape for Wildlife and People
New Story-Map Illustrates Vision for Wildlife Connectivity If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many is a good ...
ANNUAL REPORT 2020
Moving Forward for Wildlife and People From the coronavirus pandemic to ongoing environmental upheaval, 2020 was a year that challenged ...
Kodiak Cakes Furthers Investment in Grizzly Bear Conservation
Vital Ground Business Partner Leads Major Habitat Protection Fundraiser Grizzly bears and pancakes—it sounds like a sticky situation, right? Not ...
In the News: Coexistence Partners Hard at Work
Collaborating Against Conflict, and other Conservation Stories As summer progresses, the days grow shorter and bears begin to load up ...
Vital Ground, Yellowstone to Yukon Conserve Key Habitat in Northwestern Montana Wildlife Corridor
Bull River Land Purchase Sustains Linkage Area for Grizzlies and Other Wildlife NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MISSOULA, Mont. – A ...
Stay Safe and Travel Light with Scat Belt, a New Vital Ground Business Partner
Bear Spray Holster Specialists Help Grizzlies and People Share the Landscape ***UPDATE: To kick off our partnership, Scat Belt is ...
First Female Grizzly in 40 Years Collared in Washington State
Selkirk Sow Accompanied by Yearling Cubs Grizzly bears have an up-and-down history in the state of Washington. From the Selkirk ...
Keeping Up with the Bears: Our 2021 Conservation Partners
Coexistence Work Helps Grizzlies and People Share Landscapes Grizzly bears are not stationary creatures. With a range that historically stretched ...
Join Vital Ground, Local Authors for a Night of Bear Talk
Webinar with Grizzly Scribes Bryce Andrews and Robert Chaney Grizzly bears are on the minds of many these days, including ...
Meet Vital Ground’s Newest Partner: UDAP Bear Spray
Montana Manufacturer Helps Grizzlies and People Stay Safe Bear spray: it’s a proven, essential component in allowing grizzly bears and ...
Vital Ground, Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust Conserve Key Habitat in Yaak Valley
Fowler Creek Project Maintains Open Space and Connectivity for Grizzlies, Elk, Other Wildlife NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7, 2021 ...
Look Good and Help Protect Habitat on Earth Day!
Support Wildlife with a New Vital Ground Shirt or Hydro Flask! It’s that time of year again, wildlife fans. When ...
Private Land Conservation: The Unexpected Key to 30 by 30
Land Trusts Will Be Key to the Biden Administration’s Big Conservation Goal By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern With the passage ...
Forest Service, Vital Ground Team Up on Land and Water Conservation Outside Glacier National Park
North Fork Flathead Purchase Maintains Public Access, Wildlife Connectivity NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 3, 2021 POLEBRIDGE, Mont. – The ...
New Study Shows Social Media Data Can Help Grizzly Bears
By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern When I think of grizzly bear research, social media apps aren’t exactly a prime data ...
Bart the Bear II and Kodiak Cakes Team Up as Lumberjacks
New Ad Touts Healthy Breakfast with Help from “Fluffy” Bear Every lumberjack needs a few things for a great day ...
A Grizzly on Vital Ground: Bear 1017’s Story
By Tatum McConnell and Matt Hart Wildlife biology can get messy. As messy as, say, being waist deep in water, ...
A Bear of a Year: Our Top Conservation Stories From 2020
From the coronavirus pandemic to ongoing environmental upheaval, 2020 was a year that challenged the persistence of people and wildlife ...
Give Back to Wildlife This Holiday Season!
Help the Bart the Bear Memorial Campaign Reach a $60,000 Match! The winter solstice has passed, grizzly bears are snug ...
Vital Ground, Yellowstone to Yukon Strengthen Protection of Key Montana Wildlife Corridor
New Land Purchase Bolsters Kootenai Valley Conservation Investments News for Immediate Release December 18, 2020 MISSOULA, Mont. – The Vital ...
Protect Vital Habitat for Wildlife on Giving Tuesday
At the end of a long year, help connect the landscape for future generations. Grizzly bears are heading to their ...
How to Save Biodiversity: A Conversation with Dr. Jodi Hilty
Unpacking the Science and Human Dynamics of Landscape Conservation By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern If you’re subscribed to our snail-mail ...
Lolo Creek Grizzly Sighting a Good Sign for Connectivity
Male Bear the Latest to Return to Historic Range in the Bitterroots Earlier this fall, shortly after Vital Ground celebrated ...
Vital Ground Welcomes New Business Partners!
GREENROCK Batteries and Grizzly Broadband Support Wildlife Conservation Business partners are a key part of Vital Ground’s collaborative push toward ...
Lipids and Long Winters: The Science of Fat Bear Week
By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern If you follow the U.S. National Park Service’s official Facebook account, a post from October ...
Landscape Vision: New Film Shows Potential for a Connected Northern Rockies
One Landscape Initiative Pairs Wildlife Science, Partnerships NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: outreach@vitalground.org MISSOULA, Mont. – From Wyoming to British Columbia, ...
Blackfeet Nation and Vital Ground Protect Key Habitat Near Glacier National Park
Kennedy Creek Project Conserves Land and Water for Grizzlies, Bull Trout, Other Wildlife NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: outreach@vitalground.org MISSOULA, ...
Help Celebrate 30 Years of Conservation — From Afar!
Thirty years and over 620,000 acres of conservation. We couldn’t have done any of it without supporters like you. So ...
ANNUAL REPORT 2019
One Landscape for Wildlife and People Wildlife broke new ground in 2019. Grizzly bears ranged farther into the mountains of ...
Bear Safety Part 3: Tracking Grizzlies
By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern In the northwestern U.S., our mountains, valleys, and waterways teem with life, but any intrepid ...
Signed! Great American Outdoors Act a Win for Wildlife and People
New Bill Supports Land and Water Conservation Fund, Helps Build a Resilient Landscape By Matt Hart During a time of ...
Crossing the Kootenai: Idaho Linkage Project Gains Momentum
Conservation Easement Backed by Farm Bill and Resilient Landscapes Initiative By Matt Hart At the top of Idaho’s Panhandle, the ...
Bear Safety Part 2: Bear-Proofing Your Home
By Tatum McConnell and Matt Hart NOTE: This is Part 2 in our Bear Safety blog series. To read Part ...
Vital Ground Committed to Diversity and Equity in Conservation
A message from the Vital Ground team: Vital Ground knows that we can do much more to make our conservation ...
Bear Safety Part 1: Out and About in Grizzly Country
By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern We’re well into spring in the Northern Rockies, and with trails emerging as the snow ...
Life on the Brink: The Unsettling Numbers About How Grizzly Bears Die
By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern There’s a hard truth about grizzly bears in the Lower 48. When adult bears die, ...
Vital Ground Responds to COVID-19
During Trying Times, We Look to the Land in Gratitude Dear friends of Vital Ground, Healthy communities and healthy landscapes ...
Safe in the Valley: Vital Ground, Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust Protect Key Grizzly Habitat in Yaak
Broadie Habitat Preserve Keeps Open Key River Corridor NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 30, 2020 MISSOULA, Mont.—Tucked amid the rugged ...
Supporter Spotlight: From Stuffed Bears to Saving Habitat
Meet Kloe, a Young Conservationist Making a Big Difference By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern A little while back, Vital Ground ...
Winter Wildlife Pt. 3: The Ecology of Canada Lynx and Snowshoe Hare
By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern Canada lynx are among the rarest wildlife species to spot. Perhaps you’ve gotten lucky and ...
Project Update: Partnering to Protect the Gateway to Glacier
Vital Ground, Forest Service Conserving Key Habitat and Public Access Wildlife don’t know the difference between public and private land. ...
Winter Wildlife Pt. 2: Beavers Under the Ice
By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern Beavers can chop down massive trees and build incredible structures, with the world’s largest beaver ...
Protect Wildlife with a Charitable Donation from Your IRA
By Kim Davitt, Vital Ground Development Director If you are passionate about wildlife conservation and believe in Vital Ground’s work ...
Stewardship Update: Restoring Wetlands—and Beavers—to Bismark Meadows
By Kali Becher, Land Steward On a cold October morning I’m hauling piles of willow limbs while others chip away ...
Winter Wildlife Pt. 1: Bugs in the Snow
While Grizzly Bears Slumber, What’s Everyone Else Up To? By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern Hiking up a snowed-out road recently, ...
Hibernation: What’s Going on for Grizzly Bears in Winter?
By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern Making your bed can be a pain, and nobody knows that better than the grizzly ...
A Year of Momentum for Wildlife: Top Stories of 2019
In 2019, wildlife biologists tracked a young grizzly’s historic summer wanderings in the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho. Other bears were ...
Vital Ground and Quinn Family Protect Grizzly Bear Movement with Swan Valley Conservation Easement
Partners Missoula County and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Help Conserve Key Wildlife Corridor News for Immediate Release January 2, ...
Vital Ground and Yellowstone to Yukon Protect Key Habitat Along Kootenai River
New Land Purchase Strengthens Cabinet-Purcell Wildlife Corridor MISSOULA, Mont. – The Vital Ground Foundation and Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative ...
Grizzly Ecology Pt. 3: Bears, Fish, and Trees
By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern Grizzly bears live within incredible systems of interaction. For our last post of the grizzly ...
Patagonia Matching December Donations to Vital Ground!
UPDATE: As on December 16, Patagonia has reached its $10 million nationwide maximum for matching gifts. You can still donate ...
Bugs Fight Invasive Knapweed at Wild River
By Kali Becher, Land Steward Once Vital Ground purchases a piece of habitat or closes on a conservation easement with ...
Searching for Salmon
Low Canadian Salmon Runs Cause Concern for Grizzly Population By Tatum McConnell, Communications Intern This story also appears as the ...
Vital Ground Renews National Land Trust Accreditation
Certification Recognizes Durable, Accountable Land Stewardship MISSOULA, Mont. — Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Since 1990, ...
Vital Ground, Forest Service Team Up on Threatened and Endangered Species Story Map
CLICK HERE TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE STORY MAP What stories light your conservation fire? Is it the tale of ...
2018 ANNUAL REPORT
Connecting One Landscape for Wildlife and People It’s a time of rapid change in the Mountain West. Increasing development and ...
Grizzly Ecology Pt. 2: Bears and Dirt
How Grizzly Bear Digging Shapes Mountain Meadows By Tatum McConnell, Vital Ground Communications Intern We climbed up Napa Point, approaching ...
Grizzly Ecology Pt. 1: Bears and Bugs
The Macro and the Micro: How Grizzly Bears and Insects Interact By Tatum McConnell, Vital Ground Communications Intern We often ...
From Chicago to Montana, An Unlikely Conservation Partnership Bears Fruit
Brookfield Zookeepers Walk on Vital Ground, Continue Support of Wildlife Habitat Conservation A big-city zoo in the Midwest might seem ...
Keeping it Wild Next to Glacier National Park
Vital Ground Backs Flathead Land Trust on Conservation Win in Montana’s North Fork Valley A grizzly bear doesn’t know the ...
Bipartisan Coalition Introduces Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act
New Bill Would Protect Habitat Links and Migration Routes on Public and Private Lands If you’ve been losing sleep over ...
Conservation Partners Help Dispersing Grizzlies Stay Safe
New Partnerships Address Crucial Priority Areas for Preventing Bear Conflicts Each spring, there’s a subset of grizzly bears that act ...
The One Landscape Initiative: A New Conservation Vision
UPDATE (Oct. 2021): View Vital Ground’s New One Landscape Story-Map! — Vast open spaces. Free-flowing rivers. A diverse tapestry of ...
UN Extinction Report Shows Importance of Protecting Wildlife Habitat
Connecting a Wild Landscape in the Northern Rockies Mitigates Impacts of Climate Change and Development If you follow news on ...
Seldom-Used Tax Strategy Can Benefit You, Wildlife Habitat, and Vital Ground
By Jim Soft, Planned Giving Specialist We are currently experiencing a sustained, historic low interest rate environment, which presents an ...
Celebrate Earth Day by Saving Wildlife Habitat
Make an Impact This Earth Day; Support Habitat Conservation at Wild River! Across the globe since 1970, April 22 has ...
Vital Ground and Alvord Lake Stakeholders Plan Community Forest Stewardship
By Kali Becher, Vital Ground Land Steward Forest thinning, prescribed burning, and education were hot conversation topics on March 6, ...
Glen Willow: A Land Legacy Protected!
Vital Ground Partners with USDA and Landowner to Safeguard Montana Agricultural Land and Wildlife Habitat CHOTEAU, Mont. – When Mary ...
Vacation in Utah and Protect Wildlife Habitat!
A generous supporter offers a week’s stay at Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, to benefit Vital Ground When: March ...
Artist Georgia Baker Honors Compassion in Painting of Bart the Bear and Doug Seus
Grizzly bears have a way of stirring up our emotions. Whether it’s fear, gratitude, joy or awe–or some combination of ...
Out of Yellowstone, Onto the Highway
Idaho Weighing Options for Targhee Pass Wildlife Safety On a busy highway west of Yellowstone National Park, what’s the best ...
Vital Ground Applies for Renewal of Land Trust Accreditation
Did you know that Vital Ground is one of 411 land trusts accredited by The Land Trust Accreditation Commission? This ...
Sharing the Land: New Study Shows Benefits of Preventing Grizzly Conflicts
Research Led by Vital Ground Advisor Backs Active Mitigation Programs Studying grizzly bears demands patience. For one, the bears, like ...
What a Year! Our Top Stories of 2018
From protecting three key habitat areas to a dozen new conflict-prevention partnerships, from the delisting debate to a grizzly sighting ...
Vital Ground and Yellowstone to Yukon Safeguard Habitat Link Across Clark Fork River and Interstate 90
Land Purchase Protects Movement Between Ninemile and Bitterroot Ranges NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 14, 2018 MISSOULA, Mont.—A key wildlife ...
You Can Join Doug and Lynne Seus in Protecting Wildlife!
A Letter from Vital Ground’s Founders on the 19th Annual Bart the Bear Memorial Campaign Dear friends, It’s the time ...
Vital Ground Teams With The ALSAM Foundation to Protect Key Idaho Grizzly Habitat
New 455-acre Purchase Adds to Conservation Success at Bismark Meadows NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 19, 2018 Grizzly bears and ...
Vital Ground and Yellowstone to Yukon Safeguard a Key Montana Wildlife Corridor
Land Purchase Eases Bottleneck for Grizzly Movement in the Kootenai Valley NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 14, 2018 MISSOULA, Mont. ...
Wild River: A Protected Connection
When Grizzly 839 began wandering away from the Cabinet Mountains in northwest Montana, he showed no interest in traveling north. ...
Grizzly Delisting: What You Should Know
Taking Stock of Grizzly Recovery After 2018’s Delisting Debate During the fall of 2018, grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone ...
Vital Ground Applies for Renewal of Accreditation
The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places ...
Montana Coffee Traders and Vital Ground Celebrate a 25-year Partnership!
For Each Pound of Grizzly Blend Coffee Sold, a Percentage is Donated to Vital Ground Twenty-five years is a long ...
In Yellowstone Attack, Bear Spray Saves Lives
Family Rented Spray, Got Training from Vital Ground Promotional Partner By Matt Hart On Thursday, August 23, a parent’s nightmare ...
Grizzlies and Garlic Bread: Thank You, Brookfield AAZK!
Spaghetti Dinner Raises Funds for Grizzly Conservation There are no wild bears in Chicago—unless you’re talking about the football team—but ...
Vital Ground Welcomes Land Steward Kali Becher
Vital Ground’s newest staff member, Kali Becher, is no stranger to grizzly country. Growing up in North Idaho, she came ...
Stand Up For The Wild: Help Conserve Bismark Meadows
Be a part of Vital Ground’s first crowdfunded conservation project! And save critical grizzly habitat at Bismark Meadows in the ...
‘Nature Wars’ Author to Speak August 7th in Ellsworth, Maine
Author Jim Sterba will speak about the growing conflicts between wildlife and people on August 7th at 7 p.m., at ...
With Help From Vital Ground Board Chair, Orphan Grizzlies Find New Home
NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 5, 2018 Contact: Kevin Rhoades, Communications Director The Vital Ground Foundation (406) 549-8650 MISSOULA, Mont. ...
Bismark Meadows: Help Save Crucial Spring Grizzly Habitat
New Vital Ground Project Will Protect 455 Acres of Idaho Wetlands As spring turns to summer, grizzly bears in Idaho’s ...
Celebrate and Conserve
Make Your Next Special Occasion a Rally for Wildlife! Hi, friends—Matt here, the young guy on the Vital Ground team. ...
Translocation Troubles: New Study Shows Risks of Moving Grizzlies
By Matt Hart Moving grizzly bears is no easy task. It’s far better to let them move themselves. That’s the ...
Help Protect and Connect the Right Places for Wildlife
We don’t need to save thousands and thousands of acres — just those acres in exactly the right place ...
More Than a Problem Bear
How a Young Grizzly’s Relocation Could Help a Whole Ecosystem By Matt Hart There’s a new griz in the Cabinet-Yaak ...
Keeping Bears Out of Trouble
Expanded Vital Ground Partners Program to Fund 12 Conflict-Prevention Projects in 2018 NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Updated May 4, 2018 ...
Roadless and Wild
How You Helped Save Vital Acres in the Cabinet Mountains By Matt Hart Forty-three acres: it may not seem like ...
Montana’s Housing Boom: What Does it Mean For Wildlife?
With a new report detailing residential sprawl, conserving private lands is more vital than ever. By Matt Hart When you ...
Vital Ground, The ALSAM Foundation Team Up to Address Human Conflicts with Grizzly Bears
Five-Year, $250,000 Partnership Will Expand Vital Ground Grant Program Communities throughout the northern Rocky Mountains will find new help in ...
Grizzlies Inch Closer to a Comeback in North Cascades
Steep, remote mountainsides. Deep winter snowpack. Lush meadows full of spring and summer wildflowers. The North Cascades of Washington state ...
New Vital Ground Website Stresses Connecting Landscapes, Protecting Wildlife
Viewer-friendly overhaul includes new videos, featured projects and partnerships MISSOULA, Mont. – Grizzly bears everywhere have a new and beautiful ...
Brookfield AAZK Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
Fundraiser for The Vital Ground Foundation on April 12, 2018 Brookfield, Ill., is the home of the Brookfield American Association ...
In Wild Trust: An Evening with Larry Aumiller
On Wednesday, March 7, Larry Aumiller will share stories and photographs from his 30 years managing Alaska’s McNeil River Game ...
New Conservation Partners Extend Vital Ground’s Conflict Prevention Goals
Grizzly bears are on the move. In the last year, we’ve seen more and more evidence of grizzly travel beyond ...
Vital Ground Unveils “Connecting Landscapes” Logo
News for Immediate Release January 26, 2018 MISSOULA, Mont. – As part of a larger rebranding process that will draw ...
Vital Ground, Kodiak Cakes Team Up for Grizzly Conservation
News for Immediate Release January 19, 2018 MISSOULA, Mont. – Your Saturday morning pancakes can now support grizzly bear conservation, ...
Vital Ground Donates Roadless Inholding to Lolo National Forest
News for Immediate Release MISSOULA, Mont. – To consolidate ownership and streamline management of a valuable roadless area for grizzly ...
Inspiration from Cameron: ‘Grizzly Bears Need Vital Ground’
After many days in the office, it can be easy to forget why we do what we do here at ...
Swan Valley Bear Resources: Stopping Conflicts Before They Happen
The Swan Valley is where it all began for Vital Ground. Our very first conservation easement happened in this portion ...
Vital Ground Fights Noxious Weeds with Bugs
By Mitch Doherty The Alvord Lake Community Forest is a long way from the warm, exotic climate found in the ...