Future West PROJECT BRIEF

With rapid development threatening swift changes to both the ecological integrity and community structure of locales across the west, Future West is here to help people and wildlife forge a future of sustainable coexistence. This year we supported their innovative effort to monitor wildlife and livestock movements using remote aerial photography across the Gravelly Range in southwestern Montana. 

In one instance, drones were deployed to locate grizzlies feeding on a recently killed calf. This allowed the ranchers to receive financial compensation for the livestock loss and prevent further predation by moving cattle out of the area. Future West is also exploring using thermal imagining technology via drones to monitor nocturnal wildlife activity. These preventive measures aim to build connectivity on working landscapes so the future of our communities in the west is abundant for all.