Blackfeet, partners complete conservation project near Glacier

The Blackfeet Nation and Vital Ground Foundation recently completed a collaborative land conservation project that will protect 74 acres of rich wildlife habitat along Kennedy Creek just east of Glacier National Park.

According to a press release on the project, the area “provides habitat lush with conifers, aspen and other vegetation, leading to heavy traffic from grizzly bears and other species.”

Kennedy Creek flows from mountain headwaters in Glacier National Park through the project area, passing near Yellow Mountain and Chief Mountain, a prominent sacred site in Blackfeet cultural traditions.

The site was previously a private inholding surrounded by tribal lands. Vital Ground, a nonprofit land trust that protects key movement areas for grizzly bears and other wildlife, purchased the acreage before immediately transferring ownership to the Blackfeet Nation.

“I am very pleased that Vital Ground was able to partner with the Blackfeet Nation to protect the ecological integrity of the Chief Mountain-Yellow Mountain area. Kennedy Creek is inhabited by one of the few populations of bull trout existing on the east slope of the Rocky Mountains,” said Buzz Cobell, director of Blackfeet Nation Fish and Wildlife. “In addition, this area is used extensively by grizzly bears, moose, elk, deer and other important wildlife species. Thanks to our collaborative efforts this special area will continue to be wild and undeveloped.”

According to the press release, the area’s ecological and cultural significance spurred Vital Ground co-founders Doug and Lynne Seus to lead the project as they celebrated the organization’s 30th anniversary.

After founding Vital Ground in 1990, the Seuses purchased 240 acres of prime grizzly habitat just south of the Blackfeet Reservation along the Rocky Mountain Front.

Bart the Bear II, a Vital Ground ambassador and famed animal actor adopted by the Seuses as an orphaned cub, provided further inspiration and support for the project, the press release states. The animal’s predecessor, Bart the Bear, motivated the Seuses to establish Vital Ground on behalf of wild grizzlies and all that share their range.

“We thank the Blackfeet Tribal Council for such strong leadership in shielding biodiversity,” Doug and Lynne Seus said in a statement. “This project carries benefits for every living thing that stretches far beyond lines on a map.”

The effort fits into a larger collaborative push to protect habitat in the Glacier foothills area.

The Blackfeet Nation is working with numerous conservation partners to acquire similar inholdings to the project site, managing the land for habitat value through ecological restoration, retiring grazing leases and more.