DENVER, Nov. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $2.4 million in grants to restore, improve and conserve sagebrush, mesic wet meadow and big game migratory corridor habitats in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The grants will generate $3.7 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $6.1 million.

“Sagebrush ecosystems in the Intermountain West are home to a diverse suite of wildlife species which depend on in-tact large open spaces to sustain their populations,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “The Rocky Mountain Rangelands program is able to conserve, restore and sustain these important ecosystems and migration corridors by working collaboratively with private landowners, helping to support working lands and wildlife.”

Today’s grants were awarded through the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program, a partnership including NFWF, Capri, Cargill, Nestlé, Taco Bell, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Working closely and on a voluntary basis with private landowners, the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program was established in 2019 to conserve and restore habitat for wildlife adapted to harsh climates that often require large open spaces to sustain their populations.

“We at Taco Bell are proud to support the organizations making an important impact on ecosystems and climate right where our supply chain starts,” said Missy Schaaphok, Director of Global Nutrition and Sustainability at Taco Bell. “These initiatives are key to supporting the stability of our planet’s health while helping to ensure our customers don’t have to compromise on sustainability.”

The projects supported by the eight grants announced today address program priorities, including: 1) improving management and restoration of sagebrush rangelands to benefit sagebrush-obligate and other associated species; 2) securing important ungulate migrations across the landscape with specific focus on transportation conflicts, winter range and stopover sites; and 3) restoring habitat and expanding occupancy of wetland birds and native fish. 

Together, these eight grants will:

• Remove or improve 63 miles of fencing
• Restore 14,540 acres of rangelands with native grasses, forbs and brush
• Improve grazing management on more than 57,000 acres of land
• Treat more than 26,600 acres to remove annual invasive plant species
• Install 427 beaver analog structures to restore mesic habitat
• Protect 35,000 acres under easement

Learn more about the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program here, and more about the grants announced today here.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with the public and private sectors to sustain, restore and enhance the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation’s largest private conservation grant-maker, funding more than 21,600 projects and generating a total conservation impact of $8.1 billion. NFWF is an equal opportunity provider. Learn more at nfwf.org.  

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Rob Blumenthal
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
(202) 857-0166
rob.blumenthal@nfwf.org