Swan Valley Bear Resources PROJECT BRIEF

The Swan Valley is where it all began for Vital Ground in Montana. Our first conservation easements happened there, and it still holds our largest collection of habitat protection projects.

As shown in the video below, we are eager to aid Swan Valley Bear Resources (SVBR), a collaborative group doing vital work to reduce bear mortality in the area. For much of the past decade, we’ve supported SVBR work like community classes and workshops teaching landowners about bear-resistant garbage containers, loaner programs for those all-important containers, bear-proof fencing for gardens and livestock, and bear safety education for recreationists. In 2022 we funded their effort to offer electric fencing, bear-resistant garbage cans and bear-aware education to Swan Valley residents. This is the critical follow-up work ensuring the efficacy of our habitat protection efforts in the Swan, and we can’t think of a better partner for it.