A new conservation agreement west of Lolo will permanently protect a stretch of habitat that could help connect isolated grizzly bear populations. The Vital Ground Foundation partnered with local landowners in a voluntary agreement to set aside 160 acres of forest and wetland in the Ninemile Valley.
The property borders U.S. Forest Service lands, as well as the Clark Fork River and Interstate 90 near the Ninemile Creek confluence. The area sees frequent wildlife movement from cougars, bears, elk, and deer.
The agreement will support wildlife passage from the Bitterroot to the Ninemile Range by preventing human development and enabling north-south wildlife movement. This area will provide connectivity for grizzly bear populations from the Cabinet area and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem around Glacier National Park to reestablish in the Bitterroot.
