With the mighty grizzly bear as its compass, Vital Ground works to reconnect fragmented landscapes in the U.S. and Canada critical to wildlife movement and biodiversity. Because the grizzly's range covers several hundred square miles—from alpine meadows to valley bottoms—protecting and expanding habitat and migration corridors important to the Great Bear benefits entire animal and plant communities in the wildest, yet most imperiled places left on the continent.

Along with its partners, Vital Ground in presently involved in the most extensive, large-landscape grizzly bear conservation effort in the world. Through this international effort, we will be working toward reconnecting the six great, now isolated, ecosystems of the northern Rockies region—Northern Continental Divide, Greater Yellowstone, Selkirk, Purcell-Cabinet-Yaak, Selway-Bitterroot, and North Cascades.

Even now grizzly bears are appearing in areas where they haven't been seen for decades, a sure sign that conservation efforts are working ... working because of the strength of connections: between landscapes and wildlife communities; between public and private lands; between conservationists and landowners; between the needs of nature and the spirit of humans ... and between your generosity and the work it allows us to do.

Your contribution today will help keep these truths alive. Visit www.vitalground.org to make a secure online donation.

Vital Ground's private land conservation programs (e.g. the Swan Valley and Selkirk Grizzly Bear Habitat Conservation Initiatives) focus on protecting core grizzly bear habitats, seasonal foraging areas, and linkage zones and movement corridors between grizzly bear populations. Because grizzly bear habitat spans the spectrum of the natural communities present in the northern Rockies, grizzly bear recovery will likely indicate the long-term integrity of these communities.

Vital Ground's conservation agreements permanently safeguard the core wildlife habitat characteristics unique to each property while, on a larger scale, maintaining and enhancing essential grizzly habitat and wildlife corridors on a landscape scale. Vital Ground also seeks and accepts donated lands and conservation easements on lands possessing crucial habitat for grizzly and other wildlife. Our goal with every landowner is to build a solid, interactive relationship--one that is based on trust, and one that will stand the test of time. We believe that kind of relationship is absolutely essential to achieving long-lasting and truly meaningful conservation. We fully recognize the importance of partnerships with other conservation organizations, community groups, and agencies; and believe it to be entirely possible and desirable to preserve the ecological integrity of grizzly range alongside informed human communities and vibrant economies.

Vital Ground evolved from a unique relationship between humans and a bear. Doug and Lynne Seus adopted and trained a Kodiak brown bear named Bart to appear in feature films, which include The Great Outdoors, Legends of the Fall, The Bear and The Edge. As Doug and Lynne worked with Bart, it became clear that he was teaching them far more than they could ever teach him. As Lynne said, "From the time we got him in 1977 and until his death in 2000 Bart was a truly magical animal. And his film career took us on many grand adventures-from the majestic peaks of the Austrian Alps and the Alaska wilds, to the backstage of the Academy Awards.

Bart's intelligence and unconditional loyalty demonstrated to Doug and Lynne that brown bears, also known as grizzlies, could help teach our children respect for all living things. The Seuses felt that, as a member of a species truly symbolic of the wilderness, Bart could deliver a powerful message in support of land conservation. Indeed, they hoped that Bart could offer humankind a chance to learn from past mistakes and, in so doing, secure our remaining private wildlands rather than exploiting them.

Inspired by Bart, the Seuses launched Vital Ground through the purchase of 240 acres of prime grizzly bear habitat adjoining protected land in Pine Butte Preserve along Montana's eastern front of the Rocky Mountains. Bart took on an important new role as Ambassador for Vital Ground, and until his death in 2000, his public appearances with Doug and Lynne sought to convey the dire predicament of our rapidly diminishing natural areas -- along with their resident wildlife -- while promoting a message of hope that we might become better stewards of these great lands.

As Vital Ground has evolved and expanded its role in conservation, the Seuses have continued to donate use of their animals as Ambassadors to help spread the message about protecting our wild heritage. The presence of these highly intelligent and sensitive grizzlies, combined with the teachings by Doug and Lynne, have made a real difference in motivating individuals to support the organization's work.

Over the years Vital Ground's key conservation partners have included: The Nature Conservancy of Montana; Montana Land Reliance; Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Foundation; National Wildlife Federation; Ducks Unlimited; Kodiak Brown Bear Trust; American Lands Conservancy; Wildlife Land Trust; Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative; National Wildlife Federation; Idaho Fish & Wildlife Foundation; and The Conservation Fund.

To date, Vital Ground has helped to protect and enhance over 604,000 acres of crucial wildlife habitat in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska, and British Columbia.