YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON CONSERVATION INITIATIVE

The Yellowstone to Yukon region remains one of the last intact mountain ecosystems on Earth; it is home to the full suite of wildlife that were present when Europeans first arrived to North America; and it is the source of 13 major rivers, all of which provide clean, safe drinking water for more than 15 million people. Y2Y's goal is to keep it this way.

PROTECT, CONNECT, RESTORE, INSPIRE
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative carries forth the big-picture vision, and helps bring together the right people in the right places to develop and implement regional, scientifically- grounded conservation strategies at the right time. These strategies focus on four main objectives: protect core habitats; keep these habitats connected; restore them where necessary; and inspire others to engage in similar work, both in the Yellowstone to Yukon region and beyond.

We break our goals up into regions across the Yellowstone to Yukon landscape:

In the northern portion of our region (northern BC, Yukon and the North West Territories), our goal is to Keep It Wild. The northern third of the Yellowstone to Yukon region is the most intact, with few roads, little settlement and modest development. Our best defense against climate change is to keep it this way.

In the center (Canada/US Border north to northern BC) our goal is to Keep It Connected. The area from northern British Columbia to Alberta's Central Rockies contains one of the largest contiguous blocks of protected lands in the Yellowstone to Yukon region and provides essential habitat for wildlife.

In the south (Canada/US border south to Grand Teton National Park) our goal is to Restore and Reconnect Degraded Habitats. The landscape from Canada's Highway 3 to Grand
Teton National Park has more private lands than the northern and central regions, and a greater density of trails, roads, highways and railroads.

We employ seven key strategies to to reach our conservation goals:

- 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.

One of our greatest strengths is our ability to form and lead powerful collaboratives that avoid duplicating skills and use resources efficiently. There are few comparable efforts operating at the scale of Y2Y, and there are even fewer that engage in such widespread collaboration. Everything Y2Y does, we do with our partners. Whether it's other conservation groups, local landowners, businesses, government agencies, funders and donors, Native American and First Nations communities, scientists, or otherwise, these partners are the force behind our momentum. Y2Y's role is to bring the partners, the matter and energy, together to achieve as a network what none of us can accomplish alone: a conservation initiative that sees the world as nature sees it. We knit together the landscape from one jurisdiction to the next.

Within the Y2Y Team, 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.

Our track record is strong. Since 1993 Y2Y, together with our partners, has:

Secured Core Habitat
- Facilitated the conservation of 17,660 ac (7,150 ha) in B.C.'s Flathead and Elk River Valleys.
- 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 (186,15 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
- Helped fund more than 40 projects that help people coexist with wildlife.
- 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.