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Montana news about the environment, natural resources, wildlife, climate change and more.

Conservation easement protects grizzly bear migration corridor near Missoula

A grizzly sow and cubs forage along Obsidian Creek in Yellowstone National Park
NPS / Jacob W. Frank
/
National Park Service
A grizzly sow and cubs forage along Obsidian Creek in Yellowstone National Park

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.

Facing threats from habitat loss, hunting and conflicts with people and livestock, grizzly bear numbers dwindled to fewer than 1,000 in the lower 48 by the time the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was implemented in 1975. Now, wildlife managers say the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide populations have recovered and are ready for delisting. Here's a timeline of the management actions, court cases and notable events that have shaped grizzly bear recovery since their ESA listing through today.

Ellis Juhlin is MTPR's Environmental Reporter. She covers wildlife, natural resources, climate change and agriculture stories. She worked at Utah Public Radio and Yellowstone Public Radio prior to joining MTPR, and in wildlife conservation before becoming a journalist. She has a Master's Degree in Ecology from Utah State University and is an average birder who wants you to keep your cat indoors. Her life is run by her three dogs, one of which is afraid of birds.

ellis.juhlin@mso.umt.edu
406-272-2568
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