Montana's Yaak Valley to remain open space under conservation agreement

YAAK, Mont. — An important piece of wildlife habitat in Montana’s Yaak Valley will remain open space after its landowner completed a voluntary conservation agreement with The Vital Ground Foundation earlier this month.

Located along the Yaak River between the communities of Troy and Yaak, the 40-acre site includes the Yaak’s confluence with Meadow Creek, making it a natural movement area for a wide diversity of wildlife — including one of the Lower 48’s smallest grizzly bear populations, according to a press release from Vital Ground Conservation. 

"In addition to protecting wildlife movement, the conservation easement maintains the Yaak’s rural, scenic character and extends a family’s century-long legacy on the land," the press release said.

Surrounded by the Purcell Mountains of far northwestern Montana and British Columbia, the Yaak Valley’s diverse wildlife and limited development make it one of the wildest places in the lower 48 states that does not benefit from the conservation protections of a national park or federal wilderness area. 

The Yaak is home to an estimated 25-30 grizzly bears, one of the smallest enduring populations south of Canada.

With a recent uptick in grizzly movement between the Yaak and the Cabinet Mountains to the south, conservation of habitat linkages provides resilience for wildlife against the backdrop of numerous climate impacts and region-wide development pressures.

“It's only in the last decade or so that we've started to see movement from the Yaak to the Cabinets and vice versa, with a recent detection of gene flow in both directions,” says Wayne Kasworm, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who has led grizzly recovery in the Cabinet-Yaak since 1983. “When it comes to easements and protection of private lands, we talk about things that outlive those of us that are here now. That's an important thing for wildlife going forward into the future.”

Beyond grizzlies, the Meadow Creek area provides habitat for bull trout and Canada lynx, species listed as threatened by the Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as numerous other native fish and the region’s full suite of fauna, from wolves and wolverine to moose, elk, black bears and mountain lions.

By protecting the wetlands around two waterways as well as forested uplands, the easement helps maintain the Yaak’s water quality along with its enduring rural character. 

With other parts of northwestern Montana experiencing unprecedented spikes in their real estate markets, ensuring a conservation outcome for the Meadow Creek area will benefit wildlife and people long into the future.

“This is an exciting addition to the already-conserved Meadow Creek property to the south,” said Tanner Williams, Conservation Project Manager for Vital Ground. “Connectivity between the Yaak and the Cabinets is very important for wildlife, so this is a big conservation win for wildlife as well as anyone who appreciates rugged, rural places like the Yaak.”

Under the new conservation agreement, the acres will remain undeveloped outside of a small building envelope. Vital Ground and the landowners have already collaborated on habitat restoration efforts at the neighboring property, which will now extend through the newly protected acres.