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New conservation easement protects wildlife habitat and migration routes near Yellowstone

A hilly area between Cody and Yellowstone that provides wildlife habitat is protected under a conservation easement.
Quick Draw Productions
A view of the North Fork landscape near Yellowstone that includes a portion of the new conservation easement.

A nonprofit land trust says more habitat for big game near Yellowstone’s East Entrance is now protected.

Park County Open Lands worked with a landowner to conserve an 84-acre property in between Cody and Yellowstone.

“Mule deer move through that area and winter on private lands in the North Fork. Elk are obviously very visible,” said Alex Few, Director of Park County Open Lands.  “Further up valley, bighorn sheep are using private lands. Moose spend time on this property in the spring, summer and fall.”

Few said this is the group’s first easement in the North Fork area near Yellowstone. Park County Open Lands has completed three easements in total since the community-led branch of the Jackson Hole Land trust got started two years ago.

A conservation easement is an agreement by a landowner to limit future development on a parcel while retaining private ownership.

“We’ve protected 581 acres. That’s a combination of wildlife habitat, riparian habitat and agricultural lands,” she said.

Few added that Park County Open Land’s local advisory council has greenlit more projects that she is hopeful will result in more than 6,000 acres conserved.

Few said recently there has been more development pressure on the North Fork in particular. As a whole, less than 6% of private lands in Park County are in conservation easements.

The public can learn more about conservation easements at a film festival hosted by Park County Open lands on Jan. 25 in Cody.

Few says there are two Wyoming films featured.

“ One is talking about a ranch's efforts to secure their legacy through their business, and the other is about our first conservation easement at Park County Open Lands on [the] 4C Ranch,” she said.

Olivia Weitz is based at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody. She covers Yellowstone National Park, wildlife, and arts and culture throughout the region. Olivia’s work has aired on NPR and member stations across the Mountain West. She is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound and the Transom story workshop. In her spare time, she enjoys skiing, cooking, and going to festivals that celebrate folk art and music.

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