A great land conservation success story! The Conservation Fund worked with our partners to conserve and expand one of the oldest operating ranches held by one family in the Green River Valley. A conservation easement will permanently protect the natural resources of more than 10,000 acres across two homestead ranches owned by the Espenscheid family near the town of Big Piney.

One of the largest mammals in North America, approximately 50,000 grizzlies lived in the continental United States until the 1800s but by 1975 that number fell to less than 1,000. The Rocky Mountain Front in Montana is home to one of the last healthy grizzly populations in the lower 48 states and the last plains grizzlies in the world.

Out West, few animals are as famous as the pronghorn antelope. The Fund is working with ranchers in Wyoming to protect their land along the “Path of the Pronghorn”: a 150-mile migration route along from the area around Grand Teton National Park to their winter haven in the Upper Green River Valley.

Over the past 18 years we have worked to conserve lands along the Upper Snake River and the canyon stretch of the South Fork Snake River, preserving wildlife habitat, the local economy, and ensuring recreational opportunities, such as fishing and boating, for residents and visitors.

A swath of private ranchlands in the Upper Green River Valley is the best hope for conserving the region’s wildlife resources. That's why we are collaborating with ranchers to protect more than 150,000 acres that will preserve Wyoming’s unique wildlife habitat and traditional ranching economy.

The Fund established its Japanese-American Internment Camp Preservation Initiative to acquire the lands once used as campsites where more than 120,000 Japanese-Americans were held during World War II.