Luxor Linkage — The Nature Conservancy of Canada PROJECT BRIEF

Grizzly bears don’t recognize international borders, so Vital Ground doesn’t limit our work to the U.S. We were delighted to provide a partner grant for The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Luxor Linkage acquisition, a project to protect 960 acres of remarkable connective habitat between the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia and the Canadian Rockies to their east.

Grizzlies, endangered badgers, mountain goats and moose are just a few of the species that will benefit from the conservation of this lush wetland area. Meanwhile, establishing more secure habitat in the Purcells will increase the odds of Canadian bears venturing south into the Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk ecosystems, where small grizzly subpopulations would benefit greatly from the genetic diversity that those border-crossing bears would bring. Helping bridge the Purcells and the Canadian Rockies—which extend north from Glacier National Park as part of the larger Crown of the Continent Ecoystem—could also help establish a northern corridor by which bears from the Glacier-Bob Marshall area reach the Purcell and Cabinet ranges. When combined with connectivity initiatives like Vital Ground’s Wild River project, the Luxor Linkage marks a tangible step toward connecting grizzly habitat all the way from Canada to the Bitterroots and Greater Yellowstone.