The Vital Ground Foundation expanded its Fowler Creek grizzly bear habitat conservation project this month with the acquisition of 64 acres in the Yaak Valley of far Northwest Montana.

The conservation area in the Purcell Mountains is now roughly 538 acres in size. The nonprofit acquired two adjacent parcels in 2021.

Vital Ground Foundation Conservation Director Mitch Doherty says the goal of the project is to maintain connectivity for wildlife, specifically the Yaak population of grizzlies.

“Vital ground has worked in the Yaak area for over a decade because the grizzly population up there is recovering at a slower rate than some other ecosystems, like the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,” Doherty explained.

The Yaak Valley is home to an estimated 25-30 grizzly bears, according to Vital Ground, which is one of the smallest enduring populations in the Lower 48. The new acquisition will give grizzlies and other species a wider area for movement across the valley floor.

“The Fowler Creek area is sort of that classic, low line valley habitat for bears,” Doherty said. 

Open and connected landscapes are essential for grizzly bears’ ability to travel between populations. It is a matter of survival, Doherty said. 

According to the Vital Ground Foundation, there has been an increase in grizzly movement between the Yaak and the neighboring Cabinet mountains. The Fowler Creek acquisition, in turn, will offer safe movement as bears slowly reconnect throughout the range. 

“It's only in the last decade or so that we've started to see movement from the Yaak to the Cabinets or vice versa, places that are not anchored by large wildernesses or national parks,” said Wayne Kasworm, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who has led grizzly recovery efforts in the Cabinet-Yaak and neighboring Selkirk Ecosystem since 1983.

Conserving larger properties through easements or acquisitions is a way for the protected land to be sustainable into the future, Kasworm said. 

“The acquisition on the part of Vital Ground represents an opportunity to avoid some potential issues with bears when it comes to the creation of subdivisions [or other developments],” Kasworm said on Wednesday. 

Vital Ground notes that the Yaak area is also home to bull trout and Canada lynx, both of which are listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Wolves, foxes, moose, black bears and mountain lions also frequent the area.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at [email protected] or 758-4459.