Long-Term Vision: Connecting Vital Ground for Grizzlies

Connectivity-it's a hot buzzword when it comes to wildlife. But what does it really mean?

At The Vital Ground Foundation, connectivity shapes our organizational vision. A dozen years ago, when the foundation moved from Utah to Montana and became a working land trust focused on grizzly bear recovery, it was connectivity that drew us quickly to the Swan Valley.

"We don't need to save thousands and thousands of acres," explains biologist and Vital Ground trustee Douglas Chadwick. "We just need to save hundreds of acres in exactly the right places."

South of Canada, grizzlies once lived from Glaci...