CHEYENNE, Wyo.— During a celebration of Yellowstone National Park’s 150th Anniversary, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced funding for a new pilot program that will encourage collaboration with private landowners in Wyoming to conserve and restore important habitat that supports migrating mule deer and elk herds.

 

“People come from all over the world to experience Yellowstone’s iconic wildlife, but that wildlife spends much of the year outside of the park boundaries. Species like elk and mule deer migrate to lower elevations — and to lands largely in private ownership — so landowners are essential to the long-term vitality of these herds,” said David Willms, senior director of Western wildlife and conservation at that National Wildlife Federation. “This program recognizes the important contributions of landowners to conservation, and will help ensure that future generations of park visitors will continue to enjoy this incredible wildlife. We hope the success of this pilot program will spur a broader effort to collaborate with landowners in voluntary migration corridor conservation efforts around the nation.”