Why Migrations Matter

Photo by Gary Kramer

It’s hard to understate just how important wildlife is to our community. Whether it’s the crowds of tourists flocking in to get a picture of the moose, the apex predators that make this ecosystem unique, or locals harvesting meat in the fall, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is defined by wildlife. Our local economies, cultural identities, and sense of place are inextricably linked to healthy wildlife populations. 

If you’re like us, you probably associate most of this wildlife with Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks or else with the national forests around the parks. While the area’s wildlife populations are typically concentrated in these public lands for the bulk of summer, wildlife researchers are increasingly documenting the fall and spring movements out of public lands to access winter ranges. Whether it’s sandhill cranes congregating in local wetlands before flying to New Mexico or mule deer leaving the mountains to seek winter range in the Red Desert, our wildlife populations rely on a much larger landscape than we previously realized.

Migrations can be particularly difficult for conservation organizations to address. Oftentimes these migrations cross private lands and public lands controlled by various agencies, and they can span for hundreds or even (in the case of birds) thousands of miles. Coordinating protection and enhancement of migration corridors requires extensive collaboration between public agencies, private landowners, and nonprofit partners. LegacyWorks’ collaborative model is perfectly suited to drive these efforts. We bring conservation partners, agencies, and private landowners to the table to identify and protect migration corridors, and enact strategies to keep our wildlife populations vibrant.