BELONG TO SOMETHING BIGGER THE CASE FOR SUPPORT
OUR MISSION Protecting and connecting habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so people and nature can thrive.
Cover: Looking out over the Wind River and Royal Creek confluence in the Yukon's endangered Peel Watershed. Protecting the Peel is a priority for Y2Y, photo: Peter Mather. P2-3. Blacktail Deer Plateau in Yellowstone National Park is prime grizzly habitat, photo: Stephen Legault.
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WE BELIEVE WE BELIEVE in connection, not separation; in living with nature, not against it. WE BELIEVE in considering the land at a scale that matters to nature and in using science to guide our decisions. WE BELIEVE in deep collaboration and authentic partnership, in doing things together rather than alone. WE BELIEVE in the power of a big, bold idea to attract talent, passion and a community of committed citizens who work across political boundaries. And WE BELIEVE in hope; for if we persevere, our great grandchildren will have clean water, pure air, rich forests and abundant wildlife of the kind we enjoy today in the Yellowstone to Yukon region. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE?
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
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Photo: Bruce Kirkby.
“The Yellowstone to Yukon vision strikes the core of what we all know to be true — we belong to something larger. It calls us to break down boundaries and build bridges; to think big. For 20 years, Y2Y has been doing just that. Today, our momentum has reached new heights. I believe we are at our most enriched states as individuals when we value and care for nature and people. It is possible to achieve Y2Y’s 100-year vision, in which each of us plays an integral role. Please join us.”
Karsten Heuer President, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
Protecting the Flathead watershed, one of the most biologically important places on the planet, is a high priority for Y2Y, photo: Justin Black @ iLCP
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WE BELIEVE In Hope for People and Nature Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is about more than conserving grizzly bears or habitat; it is about caring for life. Stretching some 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers), the Yellowstone to Yukon region is big, diverse and intact enough to support wildlife, nature and millions of people. To maintain this area is an unparalleled global opportunity. Y2Y is the only organization dedicated to securing the long-term ecological health of this entire region, and the first to consider conservation in this landscape at a continental scale. Our vision goes beyond land and wildlife — it includes every aspect of the interconnected web of life, and Y2Y is the backbone to that vision. Y2Y’s big-picture perspective makes our approach unique. We highlight and focus on local issues that have continental-scale implications. Once these issues are identified, we work with key people toward outcomes that stitch together this landscape.
recognized global model that reconciles the needs of nature with the needs of humanity. The initiative has blossomed from a handful of visionaries to a network of scientists, foundations, businesses, advocates and agencies united by the same vision. Few organizations working at such a grand scale have moved so far so fast. For this work to continue and grow, we need you. If you believe in getting the balance between humans and nature right; in caring for life; we invite you to support Y2Y. When you support the work of Y2Y you aren’t just investing in the work of one group, you are leveraging the efforts of the larger community. Your contribution will have a meaningful impact on the water, air, wildlife and wild spaces that provide a healthy quality of life to millions of people. Together, we will secure this life-sustaining mountain ecosystem for future generations.
Since its inception in 1993, the Yellowstone to Yukon vision has grown from an innovative idea to a
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Is: • The only organization dedicated to securing the ecological health of the entire Yellowstone to Yukon region.
• A collaborative organization, having partnered with more than 300 organizations in conservation projects since 1993.
• A trans-boundary, non-profit organization, with offices in Alberta and Montana and work that spans five states, two provinces and two territories.
• A local supporter – Y2Y re-invests more than $500,000 annually in local conservation projects.
• Funded by a broad base of individuals, foundations, governments and businesses.
• An initiative in it for the long-haul – Y2Y’s vision extends 100 years. (All funds in this document are quoted in U.S. dollars)
• A creative and innovative group that grounds its work in science, and strategically and efficiently spends its dollars. Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
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A Scale that Matters to Nature The Yellowstone to Yukon Region is: •
One of the few fully functioning mountain ecosystems left on Earth.
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Equivalent in size to twice that of Texas or Alberta.
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Home to approximately 18,500 grizzly bears.
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The source of clean, safe drinking water to 15 million North Americans.
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Home to the headwaters of seven of the world's sixty largest rivers.*
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Home to the full suite of wildlife species that existed when European explorers first arrived, including all the large carnivores.
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NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
1
YUKON Whitehorse
2 3
4
Big and intact enough to provide the space for wildlife and vegetation to shift their ranges as the climate changes.
Fort St. John
Prince George
ALBERTA
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Priority Areas Based on the continental status of grizzly bear populations, we have identified and divided the region into 11 priority areas. These areas primarily function as either core habitat for wildlife or as linkage zones that connect one core to another.
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5
1. Greater Mackenzie Mountains
Core
2. Upper Liard River
Linkage
3. Stikine-Nass-Skeena Headwaters
Core
4. Muskwa-Kechika Ecosystem
Core
5. Peace River Break
Linkage
6. Central Canadian Rocky Mountains
Core
7. Cabinet-Purcell Mountain Corridor
Linkage
8. Crown of the Continent
Core
9. Salmon-Selway-Bitterroot
Core
10. High Divide
Linkage
11. Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
Core
Edmonton
6
Calgary
Kelowna Cranbrook
7 8
Kalispell
WASHINGTON
MONTANA Missoula
9 Boise
IDAHO
10
Bozeman
11 Jackson
Wyoming
*“Largest river” is defined by the volume of water that a river carries.
“There are a lot of groups out there working on very important, but narrowly focused, projects. Y2Y is able to bring them together in an integrated way that makes the collective effort that much more powerful.�
Adam Switalski Science Program Director WildEarth Guardians Y2Y Partner Since 2004
The Porcupine Hills are part of Southern Alberta's foothills and constitute some of the most diverse and productive wildlife habitat in the province, photo: Stephen Legault. Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
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Protect. Connect. Inspire. Y2Y protects core habitats, keeps these habitats connected, and inspires others to engage in similar work. Collaboration is at the heart of Y2Y’s work. Whether it is other conservation groups, local landowners, businesses, government agencies, funders and donors, Native American and First Nations communities, scientists, or otherwise, we pursue and accomplish our goals by working with the larger community. The various projects Y2Y undertakes are categorized within the following seven themes:
Protected Areas We IDENTIFY core habitat under risk of development and find ways to PROTECT it.
Private Land We work with willing property owners to SECURE land and maintain key connections.
Policy We act as a VOICE for the Yellowstone to Yukon region in decision-making processes that affect our goals.
Transportation We FACILITATE human travel and wildlife movement to allow for the safety of each.
Co-existence We work with the community to provide people with the TOOLS and KNOW-HOW to share space with wildlife.
Smart Development We SUPPORT development that is consistent with our vision and we SPEAK OUT when it brings more damage than benefit.
Promoting the Vision We SPREAD OUR VISION for a connected Yellowstone to Yukon landscape via our ever-growing networks.
Looking out over the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy, a key protected area in the Yellowstone to Yukon vision, photo: Karsten Heuer.
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What We Have Achieved Our track record is strong. Since 1993 Y2Y, together with our partners, has: Secured Core Habitat Increased the percentage of conserved lands from 10 to 20 per cent. Established two new national park reserves, Nahanni (2009) and Naats'ihch'oh (2013), that together are equivalent in size to four Yellowstone National Parks. Collaboratively purchased 460,000 ac (186,155 ha) of private lands, which secures key wildlife movement routes. Established the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, a 16-million-acre complex of protected lands and special management zones.
Helped Make Roads Safer Inspired the addition of wildlife overpasses on Highway 1 through Banff National Park. These structures have decreased wildlife-vehicle collisions by 90 per cent, and to date have detected more than 140,000 animal crossings. Advocated for Montana Department of Transportation to require wildlife-friendly fencing along state highways in places recommended by state biologists. Today more than 600 mi. (1,000 km) of highway across Alberta, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming are in the process of becoming wildlife friendly.
Helped People and Wildlife Live in Harmony
Influenced Policy for Conservation Action Contributed to efforts that led to the Alberta government listing the province’s grizzly bear population as “Threatened”, opening the door to greater protection.
Invested in the Conservation Community Helped bring more than $45 million of new conservation funding into the region.
Advanced Science Authored or commissioned more than 30 technical research studies that provide the scientific rationale to guide conservation work in the region.
Inspired Millions to Care for Keeping Nature Healthy In 1998, sponsored then wildlife biologist Karsten Heuer, who hiked the Yellowstone to Yukon region. His book has enamored, inspired and educated thousands of readers. Inspired countless print, art and film projects that highlight the beauty of the Yellowstone to Yukon region and its need for protection. Y2Y media exposure has reached more than 60 million people and underscored the value of the Yellowstone to Yukon vision.
Helped fund more than 40 projects that help people coexist with wildlife.
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It inspires me to think that when I’m 80, my kids will be able to walk this connected landscape—that this is a possible dream. I know that the only way to succeed is to see everyone’s children as our own. Helping shift the Yellowstone to Yukon vision into a reality helps me realize this dream. I’ve lived in the Yellowstone to Yukon region for 13 years now; first in Wyoming and now in Montana, with my wife and two young children. My ties to this landscape inspired my family’s foundation to grant our first gift to Y2Y in 2007, and our support has been steadfast ever since.
“I BELIEVE in connected landscapes; so connected that my children can walk from one point to another.”
It makes all the sense in the world to support the diverse connections that Y2Y represents: connected habitat for wildlife, connections between individuals and nature, and connections among people working to conserve and protect the land. One of the things the Bunting Foundation appreciates most about Y2Y is its collaboration with partner organizations. Accomplishing this beautiful dream is going to take a level of openness and cooperation as extensive as the territory itself, and Y2Y clearly understands this need and does it well.
Chris Bunting Bozeman, MT Director of the Bunting Family Foundation Y2Y Supporter since 2007
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“I BELIEVE in the richness of our natural environment and the uniqueness of the Yellowstone to Yukon landscape.”
I grew up spending time in the Big Hole Valley—we had a friend who was a ranger there and those experiences shaped me. Having opportunities like this for kids to grow up in the outdoors, fishing and wandering and becoming acquainted with our natural environment is exceptionally important. I’ve spent most of my life in Alberta and Montana. For many years I have fished the headwaters of Flathead Lake, where we now live. I’ve realized firsthand the importance of protecting the watershed for the grizzly bears, wolverines, wolves, elk and other species that call this home. These are incredibly beautiful landscapes. My brother Ted died in a hiking accident when we were together in the Mission Mountains. He was following his passion in a place we loved. So I feel a family commitment, as well as an individual one, to do what I can to respect, preserve and conserve the Yellowstone to Yukon corridor and the future it represents for our children and grandchildren.
Roger S. Smith, Ph.D. Polson, MT Retired, University of Alberta VP (Research) and former Dean of the School of Business Y2Y Board Member since 2010 Y2Y Supporter since 2010
The Yukon's Peel Watershed, an area that is seven times larger than Yellowstone National Park, is home to the greatest constellation of wild mountain rivers in North America, photo: Peter Mather.
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Nature Needs Connection Yellowstone to Yukon is the Solution Wildlife studies, including those listed below, have revealed that the Yellowstone to Yukon region is North America’s greatest conservation opportunity. The spatial needs of large mammals extend far beyond what was previously understood. Even national parks are not big enough to meet the demands of nature; human developments have surrounded many of these reserves, turning them into islands where resident animals can no longer escape inbreeding, fire, warming temperatures and disease.
Today, large-landscape conservation is deemed by many leading scientists to be one of the best ways to respond to a changing climate. More importantly, however, science has reinforced the fact that the threats that plagued the rest of the continent have not yet damaged beyond repair the Yellowstone to Yukon region or the life that lives within it.
The Need to Roam Radio collars, satellite transmitters and GPS technology revealed a suite of long-distance animal movements previously unknown to biologists. Between 1991 and 1993, Pluie the wolf covered an area equivalent to 10 times that of Yellowstone National Park and 20 times that of Banff National Park (journey illustrated below). Other animals such as lynx, cougars, golden eagles and bull trout have also been recorded traveling 1,000-plus miles.
BRITISH COLUMBIA Banff Calgary
ALBERTA
~40,000 mi 2 (~100,000 km 2 ) Nelson
WASHINGTON IDAHO
MONTANA
Recorded Movements of Pluie the Wolf
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North America’s Greatest Conservation Opportunity This map, published by scientists in 2004, shows how much habitat in North America has been lost to development in the past 200 years. The Yellowstone to Yukon region (outlined in black) remains a stronghold for large ungulates, such as elk and caribou, and carnivores, including bear, lynx and wolverine. Number of Species 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Y2Y Region
Historic
Current
Historic and Current Distribution of Carnivores and Ungulates
Laliberte, A.S., and W.J. Ripple. 2004. Range contractions of North American carnivores and ungulates. BioScience 54(2):123-138.
Needed: An Antidote to Extinction Grizzly bears are often used as an indicator species. Their need for large landscape means that when grizzly bears are healthy, 80 per cent of other species that reside in the same region are also healthy. More than 100,000 grizzly bears once roamed Western North America. By the 1920s, only island populations were left in the U.S. Now, 90 years later, all those island populations are gone but one: the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The Yellowstone to Yukon region, Alaska and portions of Canada’s Northwest Territories are the final homelands for North America’s grizzly population.
Historic Range Current Range
Grizzly Bear Distribution Y2Y is working to reconnect the grizzly bears of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with their northern cousins before the southern population disappears, photo: Kent Nelson.
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WE BELIEVE in a Big, Bold Idea Threats The Difference Y2Y Will Make Science guides our conservation priorities, and collaboration is how we move forward. Y2Y’s strategic plan sets out to resolve current threats to the region and to prepare for those risks that science shows us have yet to arise. Some of our programs are completed in one year; others last decades, but persistence gets us to where we need to be. The following map identifies the threats to connectivity and the work planned for the next few years to protect and connect this landscape.
Goals Affecting the Entire Region •
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Improve federal, state, provincial and territorial policies in the United States and Canada that will advance well into the future the conservation of biodiversity at a large-landscape scale. Create a movement in support of the Y2Y vision.
Current Status North ~12,000 Grizzly Bears Threatened Species Include Wood Bison Woodland Caribou
3.8%
of Land Protected
Centre ~5,000 Grizzly Bears Threatened Species Include Grizzly Bear Westslope Cutthroat Trout Northern Leopard Frog
18.5% South
of Land Protected ~1,500 Grizzly Bears Threatened/Endangered Species Include Grizzly Bear Whooping Crane Bull Trout
15% 14
of Land Protected
North Highly intact, with few roads, little settlement and modest development.
Mineral claims in the Peel Watershed, an area that is seven times larger than Yellowstone National Park, threaten this core habitat.
Center Largest contiguous block of protected lands in the entire Yellowstone to Yukon region. The pace of land change due to industrial development in the Peace River Break exceeds that in the Alberta oil sands and threatens wildlife connectivity. Excessive road densities and outdated logging practices in headwaters diminish nature’s capacity to clean, absorb, and regulate water flows. National parks are managed for economic objectives rather than sanctuaries for wildlife that connect people with nature.
South Settlement and development have fragmented habitat and threatened grizzly populations. B.C.’s portion of HWY 3 and the development around it have fragmented the grizzly population in the south Purcell Mountains. Compared to Montana, Alberta and B.C. have not protected important lands within the Crown of the Continent. Yellowstone National Park’s grizzly population is isolated. If not reconnected with their northern cousins within the next 10 years, bears will have to be imported into the park to ensure genetic diversity. If not, over time the population will die out.
Peel Watershed
Goals
Dawson
Keep it wild.
Yukon
Whitehorse
Establish the Peel Watershed as a protected area.
Keep it connected.
Fort Nelson
MuskwaKechika
Identify and secure protected areas and linkage zones in the Peace River Break to ensure wildlife are able to move between the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks and the Muskwa-Kechika.
Fort St.John
Peace River Break
Manage headwaters in Alberta and B.C. to provide clean and abundant waters, flood and drought control, and adequate wildlife habitat.
Prince George
Canadian National Parks
Ensure Canada’s mountain national parks are managed primarily as safe havens for wildlife.
Banff Calgary
1 Vancouver
93
1
3
Restore & connect habitats.
Flathead Valley Seattle
Castle SpecialCANA DA Place
90
Crown of the Continent
2
USA
Implement measures to make HWY 3 and other highways wildlife friendly. Secure wildlife movement routes that cross undeveloped private lands.
Helena Bozeman
SalmonSelwayBitterroot
High Divide
Boise
Jackson
Yellowstone
Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
90
Establish Alberta’s Castle watershed as a park. Secure the Flathead as a protected park and protect a wildlife corridor on B.C. public lands. Coordinate efforts to restore connectivity across the High Divide to help wildlife move between Yellowstone, the Salmon-Selway-Bitterroot and the Crown of the Continent. Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
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WE BELIEVE in Living with Nature Not Just a Big Park
Smart Development
Growing demands for more development in the Yellowstone to Yukon region, in the form of roads, mineral extraction and human settlement, put the health of this intact mountain ecosystem at risk.
Development is necessary to human survival, but not all development is suitable. We believe in development that functions with nature. To achieve this we must ask new questions: Where is development appropriate; how much is enough; and how can we accommodate the normal functions of nature?
The Yellowstone to Yukon vision is not about creating one big wildlife corridor or park. Rather, it is about connecting and protecting parcels of land that are critical to wildlife survival and movement. It is about ensuring that wildlife is able to safely cross roads. It is about creating human communities that are wildlife friendly and exhibit smart growth.
Over a decade of collaborative work has led to the acquisition of several key parcels of land in the Cabinet-Purcell Mountain Corridor that are critical to continental connectivity. The team above helped secure the Frog-Bear Conservation Area, photo: Renee Krysko.
A Recognized Model of Hope When the Yellowstone to Yukon vision was launched, the Panel on Ecological Integrity of Canada’s National Parks hailed this scale of conservation as the “new paradigm of protected areas.” In 2011, Y2Y was featured in President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors report as a leading example of how to apply large-landscape conservation. In addition, preeminent climate adaptation experts concluded that Y2Y’s large-scale vision, collaborative approach and continental conservation programs are exactly what are needed to prepare for the challenges of accelerated climate change.
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“The lessons from Y2Y inspire people with a vision: use sound science; give local efforts responsibility to perform stewardship locally, but within a larger context; and to build landscape-level partnerships.”
President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoor Report
The Yellowstone Park bison herd in Yellowstone National Park is considered the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States, photo: Kent Nelson.
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I used to volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation facility. Sometimes we would get orphan animals ready to return to the wild, but there would be no place to put them back. That experience solidified my thinking—I wanted to make sure there was a place where wild animals could thrive. The Wilburforce Foundation started small, doing what we could on a local level. In 1995, our budgets increased and we started looking seriously at landscape-scale conservation. It was a new concept back then. We identified seven areas that we might target, and the Yellowstone to Yukon region stood out, largely because Y2Y was already doing this type of work in the area. We supported Y2Y financially, and our collective conservation successes in the region caused us to reshape the way we do our work. All our efforts are now directed toward landscape-scale conservation, and we support groups that work on pieces of the larger landscape puzzle. We have worked with Y2Y for a long time, and the organization is one of our favorites. Y2Yunderstands the big picture for this region and helps smaller groups fit into it. There is strength in numbers, and a critical need for a big picture to help the smaller parts mesh and keep the work moving forward.
“I BELIEVE in a place where animals can thrive.”
Rose Letwin Seattle, WA WIlburforce Foundation Y2Y Funder since 1999
Wilburforce and Y2Y are both about collaboration and empowering people and groups. Looking back over the past 20 years, it’s amazing how far we’ve come, and I think the achievements we make together are just going to keep growing.
P18-19: A clear view of Wyoming's Teton Mountains, one of the most southern ranges of the Yellowstone to Yukon region, photo: Stephen Legault. Back cover: In protecting and connecting the Yellowstone to Yukon region we safeguard special places for all living creatures to thrive. Here, Zev enjoys a quiet moment while taking in Hector Lake in Banff National Park, photo: Karsten Heuer.
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Three-year-old Zev Heuer holds up the friend he made while playing in the woods of Alberta's Bow Valley, photo: Karsten Heuer.
PEOPLE Make This Vision Happen Because THEY BELIEVE…
We Hope YOU BELIEVE... Join Us
Conservation at this scale has never been pursued before, but the Yellowstone to Yukon vision attracts people with the talent, passion and commitment to make it happen.
If you share our vision and want to make a contribution that makes a difference to wildlife, to nature, and to your quality of life—we would like to count you in as a partner.
Y2Y’s Board of Directors contributes to our strategic planning and fiduciary oversight from a rich combined experience in the fields of law, science, government, fundraising, finance and the arts. Our team’s staff and strategic advisors are responsible for some of the most important conservation achievements of our time. Our network of funders, donors and other supporters believe in the Yellowstone to Yukon vision, and know that we have the creativity, determination and collective experience to break new trails in conservation.
We can help you choose a gift option that aligns with your values and goals. As a donor or corporate ally, you will support initiatives that have a long-term effect on the entire region. Gifts of stock or securities, as well as estate-giving, translate into results that stand the test of time. Most importantly, undesignated contributions give us the flexibility to apply your gift where it will have the greatest impact. Together, let us keep one of the last mountain ecosystems intact and healthy. We believe we can provide a better future for nature and wildlife, and give our children and grandchildren a wild space to discover and explore.
In the United States, the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt organization, IRS #81-0535303. In Canada, the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Foundation is a registered 149(1)(f) charity, #86430 1841 RR0001. With a four-star Charity Navigator rating, we practice transparency and invite you to review our annual reports and annual audited financial statements, all available at www.y2y.net or by request.
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CANADA Unit 200, 1240 Railway Avenue Canmore, AB, T1W 1P4 UNITED STATES P.O. Box 157 Bozeman, MT 59771-0157 Tel (403) 609-2666 Fax (403) 609-2667 Toll-free 1-800-966-7920 info@y2y.net www.y2y.net
Printed in Canada, 2013. Copyright 2013 Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. All rights reserved. Design and illustration by Matt Knapik. Copy by RenĂŠe Krysko and Susan Ewing, with additional text and insights by Wendy Francis, Jennifer Hoffman, Karsten Heuer, Matt Knapik, Debby Carlson, and Roger Smith. Copy editing by Jennifer Hoffman, Wendy Francis, Karsten Heuer and Helen Rolfe.