Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Centennial Valley sunset
© Jim Steinberg

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site

This region encompasses a unique and irreplaceable patchwork of land, simply unequalled anywhere in the world.

This is a land of superlatives. It's an essential migration route and winter range for vast herds of elk, bison, and pronghorn antelope. It sustains the world's largest concentration of bighorn sheep and provides some of the last habitat for the continent's great predators including wolves, grizzlies, cougars and wolverines.

Threats
Rapid development here is threatening ranching, destroying wildlife habitat, disrupting wildlife migrations and compromising natural processes such as fire.

Our Conservation Strategy
The Conservancy's goal is to collaborate with landowners, conservation groups and the many stakeholders using a science-based, non-confrontational approach to protecting the most ecologically important lands in this incomparable region. Our approach is to support voluntary, private land conservation of important wildlife habitat. Conservation easements, land acquisition, stewardship agreements, grassbanks, prescribed fires and weed districts are a few of the tools the Conservancy and its partners use to protect this region's natural heritage.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing

The Conservancy programs in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are working together to build partnerships and enhance the profile of the conservation needs in this region. Previously each program has worked separately throughout the region to conserve over 260,000 acres of private lands. In Montana, the Conservancy has focused on the western spoke of the Greater Yellowstone, the Centennial Valley, where it has worked with ranchers, the Fish and Wildlife Service and others on conservation easements, weed management and a variety of stewardship and research efforts. The Montana program is also working with partners to conserve the natural functioning of the Yellowstone River, particularly the lower reaches.