The Vital Ground Foundation has announced the acquisition of an important 20-acre parcel of wildlife connectivity land in the Swan Valley. The newly-protected acres lie in the Simmons Meadow wetland complex, adjacent to public lands and a Vital Ground conservation easement donated by a conservation-minded landowner in the area. By connecting large blocks of public land to the east and west, these conserved properties form a key portion of the Upper Swan’s habitat corridor, an established linkage zone for wildlife moving between the Mission and Swan mountain ranges.

This undeveloped property provides key East-West habitat connectivity for myriad wildlife species that call the Swan Valley home,” said Luke Lamar, Conservation Director for Swan Valley Connections, a conservation and education nonprofit and frequent Vital Ground partner based in Condon. “Vital Ground’s purchase will ensure the property remains open space and an iconic view of the Swan Range will remain undeveloped.”

“With the intense real estate market escalations we’re seeing in Montana and across the Mountain West, it’s extremely important that we conserve remaining habitat linkages on private lands,” says Ryan Lutey, Executive Director of Vital Ground. “Whether it’s within existing grizzly range or helping reconnect isolated subpopulations, countless species will benefit from more connected, protected landscapes.”