-,
What Is The Vital Ground Foundation?
he grizzly bear is the most powerful symbol of American wilderness. Since our early
ancestors recorded the story of Ursus arctos horribilis on cave walls, the bear's presence as
an "umbrella" species has represented a healthy, viable ecosystem for all plants and
animals. In these modern times, however, one of the most noble animals in North America
faces an uphill battle with humans for prime habitat.
Grizzly bear populations have plummeted dramatically since the late 1800's. In 1975, they
received listing as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Grizzly bears once
numbered more than 50,000 and roamed the prairies, forests and foothills from the Great Plains to
the California Coast and south to Mexico. Now, there are less than 1,000 grizzlies remaining in
less than 1%of their historic home range in the lower 48 states.
:.. . . .
Even under federal protection and with thousands of acres of public land to roam, the fate of the
i " '.';
,
grizzly often rests on private lands. Nearly two thirds of grizzly bear mortality occurs on less than
F[~m the first time Iheld ,Bart in
arms a~d , ' 5 percent of the habitat base-areas where grizzlies and people come into conAict. Pressures in
hand-fed him milk {ramo bottle; I knew he \yos ' " these "conflict" areas continue to grow with man's expansion into vast, untamed habitat. Protect
ing these private lands and reducing human-bear conflicts will be the key to preventing the bear's
ci special animal. His wlkJ 'home·had-been lost'
extinction.
,along withhi'~, llJother wh,o was tragically killed. '
The Vital Ground Foundation was formed with the primary objective of conserving wildlife
.f.l)y famil), nurfured, trainedan'dpr6vided',him '~.
habitat through a variety of creative strategies. The foundation seeks to identify strategic private
with a home. Bart in t\.lr,n has proviaed me'with
lands that link with public lands to provide year long grizzly habitat, then either acquire or
" 0 career as awanimal trainer and coach for '
conserve through easement these key habitats. Typically, these lands lie adjacent to national
"' marethan 18,years and a life$~I~ th~t h'qs ,
forests, national parks and wilderness areas.
•
<
oeen extrem~lyrewarding. ' Bart has appemed
Partnerships with other non-profit conservation organizations, state and federal agencies, and
, ,in numerous motion pictures, in~ludirtg Th~ , '
private landown.ers will play an important role in conserving a non-renewable resource".the land,
> , 'Beof, Clan-of the Cave Bear, Walt DisnE;lyls:~, ,
By developing entrepreneurial approaches to habitat conservation and executing on-the-ground
,
, " White Fang, an'd Legends d ,the Fall. , , : "
,', Having achieved'success in our own'
' ,' efforts, Vital Ground will not only ensure the future of the grizzly but other plants and animals that
,~ profession thro~gh 'Bart,, 1 feint was Jime thaf we " require undeveloped open space,
_' , ',' . took'a step back and returned something to' the ;,
, _', wild 'creature wnogave uS9ur life. LYlJne~and I,
• ".: ~ , ,,,,,orki~g;coliectiv~lY'with ,fri:e~ds and ?ssociates, '
,
_ establlshed,tKe VltaLGro,uno Foundallon. Our , ;
vision,from·the beginning was to do-scimething : ,'
, , ':"",orthwhile for the ervironment and f.O! Bart's '
b.rothers, sistersand cousins. _ -"
, ,
With 'our board of directors, founding "
contributors and numeroos behind,the-scenes
,people, we created a-,national non:profit" ',,'
,foundqtion that is .working on habiklt solution!> ,' ,
, • ,for the Gre.at Bear. "I invite you to l oin u~ in "
, keeping part-oLour envfronment heallhy and
• wb"ole enoughOfodhe great grizzly~to walk in ' ' ~'
peace... fo( wrere hedyvells, all·things,wild may ,
, thrive: '< ,' , _' , ' " .
. ' ~ ~ '
" "
,
] ,
:~
_D'~ar .Friend
, ,~ Fore.ver Wild,
.t
>,
" DougS~ys
',
> "
, Founder and President '
;ny
1. To safeguard vital ground through the simplest, fastest and most effective methods possible: creative land acquisition techniques and conservation easements. 2.
To establish partnerships with private landowners, other conservation organizations and government agencies to work on habitat protection and conservation strategies. 3.
To educate people on the impacts of habitat loss, not only
for grizzlies but for other wild creatures that share their range.
Arne l. Schmidt: "Chairman
'. Lo; {\~~~e~, California .'
of the Board ' '
Doug Selis: Pjesid~nt arid Founder
, Heber, Utah
ic
Lynn~ Seus:~SecretarY and Founder ,
Heber, Utah ",~
Dedicated volunteers are the foundation on which all successful non-profit organizations
are built. Board members step forward from within this framework in order to play an
active role in shaping the foundation's future . Vital Ground's board oftrustees were chosen
early on when the founders solicited the support of many friends, family and business associates from around the world to assist this fledgling organization. The current board of trustees leading Vital Ground are:
Doug and Lynne Seus, the founders of the Vital Ground Foundation, are well-known
"
Susan Bridges: Treasu'rer ,( ,
San M~nticito, California ' '
.<,
,
Doug Chadwick
Whitefish, Montana
EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR
Daniell. Walker,
Missoula, Montana throughout the country and in the film community as animal trainers and coaches. Their active role in the environmental community is far-reaching, with memberships and support
of numerous causes throughout the world. They have contributed to the study of animal Dr. John Weaver, behavior and biological studies of bears and wolves. Vital Ground was established as a
U _.Jlsh 9.n.d-.WildJlfe Seciice1=-.----=~....-:t
='-';":-~-I=P,emlOal~milment"by the Seu-? te €live
semething back-te- the aAiffloo that h()v~
provided them with a rewarding career.
SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR
Arne Schmidt, Chairman of the Board, has worked in film production for over twenty
years. As a producer of seven feature films, including RoboCop and Awakenings, he
brings professional management and leadership skills to Vital Ground . Laurel Moore, his
wife, has assisted Vital Ground over the yeors in fund raising and communications and
helped manage the office in the early days of development. Arne's passions include
wading in trout waters with fly rod in hand and boating in the Pacific.
Susan Bridges moved to Montana in 1971 to attend the University of Montana . Her
field of interest was English literature. Susan has participated in numerous environmental
causes and political issues with her husband Jeff Bridges and their children . Susan's fund raising skills and commitment to the Foundation have been instrumental in Vital Ground's
success . The Bridges spend summers on their Montana ranch relaxing under the Big Sky.
Doug Chadwick brings to Vital Ground a source of strength and inspiration as an
author, conservation professional and dedicated wildlife biologist. Having written numerous books and hundreds of articles in such magazines as National Geographic, he
considers his work a source of motivation . Doug lived off and on for seven years with the grizzly in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and Glacier National Park. He was employed as a
seasonal biologist in Glacier for three of those years.
Dr. John Weaver recently resigned from the board to fulfill his new duties as Deputy
Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Grizzly Bear Recovery Team. John has
agreed to continue advising Vital Ground as its first Scientific Advisor. He has extensive
experience with wolves and grizzly bears as a wildlife ecologist, and holds a M .S. degree
in Wildlife Science . He was a visiting scholar at Yale and recently received a Ph.D from the
University of Montana . For ten years, John was the U.S. Forest Service Grizzly Bear and
Endangered Species Specialist for Region One.
Bart, Vital Ground's ambassador, stands 9'5" and weighs close to 1,500 pounds. He
serves as the inspiration for all of us to continue driving forward with the mission of
conserving important habitat for his wild brothers and sisters.
CHARITABLE ADVISORS
lisa A -BeCKer
Jeff Bridges
" RQgerA. Caras _
, Michael crichton
, Does,Plenty Good Deeds
• Ernest Gold ,
I'eggy: GoWo'n '
Gaorield Gutentag
Anthony Hopkins
Jack Horner Jea~ ~~digheadGeorge
, Joanne Horner
' Bob Ki'e~li f\'g , TerrxlLeon,ard _ Penn"y Marshall SfeveMElrtin
- Ken-McConnell
, ', Laurel-Moore ', Tom Napton , lisa Plonsk~r .. Helen,e PolIQck Jbhn Q, :fripp'
Galen Rowell Louisa WHlc~x ,.-' '
'r
lh~ Vital Ground F~lind6tio~ newsletter is'
' published twoti~es .il year in'Missoula, •
Montena, Vital Ground is a recognized ',~,
501 (c)3 'non'profit ~orporotion, TheJocus '
and goal. of the Foundation is to acquire om}
conse ~ve through easements strategic ': <
, habitats tho,t benefit Jhe grizzly and all plants
,and animals within its ecosystem , Donatlons .
an€
correspondence may'be sent to P,O, Box
2?71, Missgula" Montan(J598Q6, ' "
~
-h~': ~~ m~~es'Princ~
b~h'ind'~~ sn~r~;
b~t ~:~~<h;'~as
~e'aswe
in '
th!lrespying on
, unison-and
danced and
" ,~
crossed his patli deep. in the-Bob Marshall ' ,
j ~mped sideways down fh~ trai,I:. ~
Wildern~ess', A~ a wi-an,gler" packer9",d gUicfe
, "As We rounded the bend and dropped ;
"-forWilderness' Outfitters;Jwas thankfUl thai
ioto the marshy bottom,iheCmy le lraio,carrying'
these"expe'riences'ca nie on rate 'Occasions. '
a full · IQ.~ d of packs stuffed with sl ~eping bags,
' For three slLmmers Ili~eq (n the back '
clothing,food'and camp gear bec9me
cou,ntry, guiding fly fishermen, :!l[ltert.oining
i~cre9~inglY ne;vous ."
," " ,,'
,'g u ~s's_onmou'ntain-peaKS' al)d setting _ ;
Thecmules le& their usual niarcning:rank i ' '. 'comfortable camps far from '~iviliiation ,
,
bashi ~g irt6 treesa~d drifting aimlessly dQ.~n
·>Childhood dreams became re ality as 1fulfilled
the trail. Something wo's'wrong; a' ste,ady, , '2" my cowboy fania..sies,working from the b9ck-9f
' dhor;e iri,a wild, unto'medsetting ,
.
mduniein-wise muletearn and ci horse like .
Prince rarely b~h~~~ in.suc~
un~ontr9H~d ,:.-: ~ P~ri~drcally, lencduntered tell,tale ~igns of~
man'her.
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,,"
",' ' . the great bea[; t law scrap~s on trees 'and paw
··Prince
re~dy to exploq'e. ~n~ g~ew eveil
•priRtsin th~ mud , H; visited me on the trail one
more agitated each time 1tur ned him back
night, leaving only his print it[ the·dirt less than
c Dan Walker on ihe trail<~uFi~g his ~ilderness days "
onto the trail. 'Seconds seemed like minutes as '. 100 feet from wher~ '!.slept; 'For that 1was ' "
. ,'j n th ~ Bob Marshall. ' ~ ,. '
',' '
. mysense~ drifted.from the horse and m u les't~ : .'-, ·Jharikful. Jl,Jst knowing·that he was there :
the ground. beneatbr:ne " D~ep'conc'ern
"',. ~.lIowedmY.'aJeani to become reQI. < "
settled; the last thing Lneeded was a'mule
Eleven years have passed since my COWboy
-I shore ,my wljderfless 'story as just on~
wreck in thenliddle of ~ilder~e:ss: ' '.
days. Tnos'e memories are boried deep in
chapt~r from my life in Mon~ai:la. Times h'qve
Looki[lg down on t~e tr9i l, 1spotfedthe ,
tho,uglitbutrecently. wer e bF~ught tq the '
changed quickly, with transfor.nj.otrons on tlie ,
unexp-~cJe<d :" Directly ~elow me was the '
foref(ont agai'n by a q ,mmitted group of .
,,:< ',_ I.orid o'Ccurring armost <;Iaily, C~wboys are ,at ,
,......."""_.;;..._.,..........._~~_ _~-::-..-~
'risk Of lOsing not onJy their'wesiern,ftagiiiQ.ns _ _
picture-perfect. track of a grizzlp yiih' water
,seeping ever so slowly ~ack into the place
,
but their h~ritage. Ranching families are
~ . ,.
whe~e he st~od only SE;lcol)ds before , Thi~' .
knewhe~was~there
~' - bein'g bouglitoutby-..,developers· dn~ the..
, track was too fresh forcorrifort cind my ,
. > .~ , . _ ".'
, ' ,
...
" landscape is be_c.omiilg inh6sl?i!9bJe for both ,
Goncern
to hair,rdisingqoubt. ,I knew
catt,le
a
ane) .
,'
he was there only feet f~om wher~we 'passed;
, . ' ' '.
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to some degree a vIsionary dreamer~ 1m back
. yet 1cOl:lld' not see him,
.
,p'
.:~
in ~hEi's9ddle;:vorkfng,towar9 < h.o.~ itat sol~tions' .
: Luck was on my side that deay: We
",' ,
' ,,:,.
,.
, , ,on the land, '
.
, . 'We. ar~ losing9r.ou ~d each (jay ~nd ifmy
continued on down the trail without so much
as a s<3imd from~the<'bear"
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people calling' th~mseJves,the Vitql Ground .....:--"
kids ang yours wish to enjoy'the open' spate' '
: Thi~ was my FIrst encounter with a' grizzly,
Foun.dation" -When tKe board offered 'me th~
values 'o fwild country and wil<;llife>we mus(
nearly:11 y'ears' ago, Emotions from t~at
executive dir'ecioj positio n, 1drifted,back;. and
. act today: M~re importantly" the'grj zzly . ,',,_
for the fi rst time I rrmy·life saw an opport~ nity
.rE!mdins <a threatened sp-ecies and there is (OJ ,r , '
momefit in~time have dissolved to fragmente<:l
meroorie~ ,: j neyer saw, he9rd n'o~ slY),eJled him' , to c6ptur~ fore~er the spiritof'wi1dernEiss.
_. VE;lry ~eal possibility that he may follow a pat~.' '
, ~ ot nQ ~eiyr~ , al,l at the hands 9f man.: F9r me,it: .
: , would be a personal tragedy to simply telLmy ~
beo( story around a campfir~, iri twen tY'yegr~ ..: .<'
,~ without knowi n'g that he may bebuttnere ' :-:
somew here :·
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Vital Ground has'take~ on aoew: l~ok; and
,the 'bQord of trust~es has strateglc~lIlmcipped '
9ut,its role of saving important habita\ f0J the
- grizzly. With 9!1 adion'orient9tion, a'sounq :,
' plar') and suppgrt'from inJerested' conserv9tion,:' ,
isis, we wiU:leave a legacy ofla~d pro'tection .
,as our story so that futu re generatiens may '
. experien.ce that spine-tingling realizatio.n that
so'mewllere, agrizzly is'watching ffom tne ~
sid ~ ?fthe 'trail. "
"
brr
w6s
I
t~rned
'_,' ..
on Jy, fe~; (ro'm,where .• :, " ,
we: .'0 ssed . ' . ..:
andwil~fire. ,,~s .conS;rY~ti9ni;t,
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"---~----"--,.~---,--,-:,.--~ .'0; Dr. Jo~n Weav,er.~'"
...
n:~~h~f~rj~h~w~~~~?n~:. the'··.
"
'
grizzlie~ cqnnot ab~orbeyen a ~~dest, de~in ;'
rat~ 'in) he wild , ' ,'" ', .. ' ~' • ",
" ." In th~ lowet 48 staies, 'smoll populatip~s of -'
grizzlies rerr1ain'irl a(ewisolated areas tnat ' '
sef\~edas' ~lbodrd of t~usteeand' .
•"
are referred to as 'iisland~'! or-habitat., These
Vital Grou (1d~'A : .
, fragment~ of land make up ies~ than 2%;;ithe '
p,iograppyof JO'hn app$,ars'ory "
' bear's historic range. Dato,on other illreat, '
ened~ or endpngered sp~cies sho";;-s that ,' .,' ::-.
. pqge 'With J.o~n /s, exte n sive '
"islai]d,fragmentatior1" is detrimental tothe
,. ,' kn9wre~g~/' be ~il l be ,writing :
: , su r~ivgl of q plant'or oi;1irnql speci~s . In she-rt, ~, '
aboutJne bea(ir:l~eoch'issLie, offhe
, " species ihatrelYon and'live withinth~se, - ~'., , .
."", islanas sta~d ti high probabiJiiy ~f pe[ishin~,
. " ~', 'newsleiter: '
following arfi~le'~ ~'
With'the drasticdeclin'e of habitat and '
~. ,co.vers basic b~.9f~ecO.logy~a~d "" "
, '. g(jizlyb~arnuirJbefs,the' bia~ ';"cis list~,d in ~"
" ' 1975 asa thre'atened spe,cies und~'r the;, '
' 9~Q~lfop,hk, l()cation/ igentifying ",.,....
cn'd~ ng'ered Species Act::. TodbY, six ecosys~
.·,· the- problen'1/sol~ti()n apprpa.c-h fo ,~
. te~s ("islands") remain in the lower 48 states'.
, bear.:mgnagem'~n]; ~ ,.. '
.
These ecosystems are as follows: YellQw~t6ne
. --, .-.
, " Nationalp.ark Ecosystem, the Cabinet-Yaak
Ecosysterrf in northern Idaho and northwest
• . : rizziy,bears' ar~ th~.I~;'gest ~~ .
_.Montana, the Selway-Bitterroot, the Northern ,"
omnivor~s in North-America , Adult"
'.; Contine!1t9IDivide E€osystem in Montana, the ' .
It .···
" maleb~arsi;"the IQwe~i8 ~ta'ies ' ~ " '"
Selkirks 'Ecosystem in northeast Washington . "
,
.weig~ frorn,40_0 to 800 'pounds,·qnd '
ana n'oJih Idaho and the North Cascades in ': - '
female~ weigh from 250 t6.400 pO\lnds, ,
nortbwest Washington state ..
:·,.Thei-r d!et j'n. the Ro~ky- Mo~ntains consists ,of
.'
-- _
. " The Vital Ground Foundation's objective
about 8O~90% vegetation; i~cludihg a'variety
. griz-zly beers MV~ one of the lowest reproduc,
will be to aequi ~e strategic habitats and <.
, ,'0ffor~s, berfi ~s~ pine nuts an~-grasses. ,-.' -- tiverates among terrestrialmamma1s.=rhis .
conserve: throogh dondted~eus~ments 19naS
' ~ Grizzlies' supplement their diets.hy
" leads to aco~sequence ofc riticaUmpo'rtqnce:
that may link th'ese ecosystems, protect .
, ': e9ting,w.inl.er,killed.UngLrlates
'- "
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seasonal range that borders these 9reas or
minimizes the t.hreat of encroachments 0(l vital
.. '.'(elk for example), small
Historical8t'Prese~tDistribution
,
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grQundJor
the grizzly. Through creative
, mamrnalsand }n.sects.
': - 6fGri_zzly~earsin
"
"North America.
Grizzly b~ar .
".
_ .
.<;:onservbtior,;strdteg ies,padner~hrps wrth ~,
,,' home ranges can .
.'stat.e and 'federal agenGies, and most impor'
vary"from about20 ' ~~~
, ' feintly Flartnersh'fps with- prival.e.lmiqowners,~ _,
. 'Vital Gr6~rid Wi Ii pjayan e~tremery impOrtaRI-...
" toh'undreds ofsquare
,
.
, . miles. Grlizly bearsrequ ire large ~.
. '" role i ~ ;ovjng 119bitatJ:E,r the g~i.i:zlyand othe ~ .~ ,;:
. wildlife. ., ·
• '~
,
, : hom~e 'ranges in drderto .encomp(:lss " "
.'
]he'v~r'i
;;us
seasonal
habitat,types
~'
.,
·'.il
-. ~ '.
.' necessary fo,supply their diverSe dier .() :.Grizzly bears.:'arenoiterrltbri.a l dnd ~ , '·U " home ranges of irld'ividuallolears do :' ~veriap . ',
,'. - . . :
A.
' (;rlhly~ear.s -ccirdive 20 to ';30 ye~m or longer. Addlt grizzly bkars. -.~,' ar~ mostly soliiqry creaJures except , . duriiigmpfing, periods 6r when " '. :',~, .,' fem'qle~ a~e'atcoinPdnied.by.their " "
young : Immaiu;'ehecirs, m~st '
'
. commonly ~ ibling s; often travel '" ' , together for a yeat or f!1ore 'cifterlElCl;vihg , theii' mother. ': '"
,
'.', J , _ _ .', Femdies. gen~'ipIlY do' n,dt breed.: u;'~I ,,_ 5 or 6; and:at irit~r',falS af3'years or , . •, Jonger. Litter size.is typ.i<:;ally1 to,4 ~ubs ; '
,;vith) .being most"eommon: About 50%'of < '. cubs survivelo"adulthodd. T~is lim ited '" ' rep~~ducii~e'capadtY preCiudes,'any rapiej increose' in grizzly bear POF,uICltioos: Irlfact, . helped Iqu'RCH
I,
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The'
,'.r
\.
~
i1.r ' '
, .age
.
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bearsore;o~t!
t~ the
'.
' he
thanks
early , ..
,
'. work of.Vitcil Ground, th~ grizzly ~bear_s •
,
on.the Eastern Front of the R9cky .
. .,
Mountains in Montana nave a home,to
return to after a lengthy ~inteJ ;I~ep: ' . " , .
On March27, Mike-Ma'del of the Montana
Depcirtrl] eni:of fi~h; Wildlife and .ParRs ha.a
reports of two grizzlies drifting-through the Toy
property on TetQA Creek.
.:.
_
The Toy property was the first ~cq~i ~ iti6n , '
completed bY'yitaLGrd,und. The tand COYerS.- ,
nearly 240a cres~ofprime hapiict boi-derin,g ' ~
thaNature Conservclncy's,Pine ~utt.e Swamp'
Preserve . 'Thelandscape:is breathtakIng, ""iih ' .
the Eastern Fron.! 9f the Rockies ~towering to Jlie .
west, Teton Creek'c arvi ng through the · . .
property to j he nortb, the begirmj ng of the
gre~t!'>Iaihs sprayvlihg ~to ihe.easr and the, Pin~
Butte Swa.rT!p<Presei-v,e borderi ngthe south . ~
Imp9rta nl habitat vC!lues for thegii zzlyand .
oIh~r wildlife include s~curity cover,succulent
forbs; grqsses,anaavaiJa'bl~ range for early '
spri ng'. :Historic~al~~sexist o~the propertY as
well, ' inc!udin-g old tepeeringS'(lnda ~uffalo
jump_9ropping diredly) n\o r~ton Creek. ~1h$
lucky,eyem.Oy .alsb pick-up ori-:"orrowhead .o r .
~oonJheland . :,
."
, ~'
. The conserva~l6n
. . . -.
~. ~
:. .
p~rtn~e~ship
that ev~lved
:
- -. :-..."
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betweenth~ Na;ure C,o~s~rv~ncy-a~a Vit91 . ' .
Ground o~ th'is' a,cq ~ isiti6ri illustrates the "
impbrtan~e of:N~rking G~lIediyely:with other,
co,nservati9h 'g~up_s, on conservtng strategic
habitat for the ,grizz~y: "
.
,
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-:" Most irftportahtly,; this bna ,«il lbep;o.tecte~':·. "
forever-<lnd-represents' tli.er9Ie thatVitbl, . ,: '
:'Grou ~ <;l will pLay 'in its missioJ) 6fcollser-ving '.
. - habitat. ." ' .
,:""
~ \' ~, \~I ,.•~~~·::;r;~~i~~~nO~il~~;il~O::~~~t~f~~o:~~~~~;t~~:oi~"."':
.t \J .qVk:kl~ to meet it~ goal of conserving sirqtegicl?r1ds. Theboc~b.ohe .
, ';
and'lifeblood'of tnisfoundation-:is in the ha'nds of con'cenled do'nors wno_wish .; .
,to leaY~ q:ha,pitotJega'cy:fQrthe greptbear~' Char!Jablesypportc6m~es f,re.rn ,
.'-: . . " i ~divi'dual-s~ foun9ation,soii dcorpo~atlons ,throughout!he Gountry. ,,' .:'
, . Ihe b~o~rd ~f trusf~es -'lqs established the firs~-everPartri.ers of Jhe Griizly- '
Fu ndand,theYH9t Habitat Cund.to SlJ~ce'sslullym~et h~ mis§L6,ri'.~· '
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, Part~~r's . ~f, the'~'<r",.
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Partners of the Grizzly Fund:
$10 to $999
: The Partners of'the GrizzlyEund p rovide~ ",
.' do-nots witllan opportunity ti:>. step fo~yjard .
' ~ith an ~nn'ual' gift for tne fTlissionof;sciving
'! . 'wiid lands 9nd jmportanj habitad~rJhe
,,' "
- ,: '. grizzly, The hmd w ill pla,y,a ~ ignifi ca ~l'i'ole in
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'.. furthering Vital Gtound'smissl on.(ind allow "
. donors an opportunity t~ realize a' i?artnership '
, in. ·the Fo,undation. Revenue from this fundwill
ge u ~ed to establish h~bifat'r,elatea programs '
enCll allow Vital Grouhd to meet the'challenge '
oFacguiring and conserving "v~al gr~und" for
.' ' the great b(ilar . . '
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. '. Donations wilrbe dcc~pted FlIJually or
Vital Habitat Fund levels are:
Friend .. ... .. ...... .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. ,... ... ..... .... ,... .... .... .. $1,000 to $5,000
Associate .. .... ,.. ..,... .... .. ... ... ........ ,........ ... ,........ $5,001 to $10,000
Investor .............. .. ...... .. ... .. .. .. .. .................... $1 0,001 to $25,000*
Partner .......... .. .. .. ......................... ...... .......... $25,001 to $50,000
Benefactor .... " .... .. .. .,....... .. ...... ... ..... .. .,... .... $50,001 to $100,000
Golden Benefactor ,......... ,... ........ .,............ ....... .. . $100,OOland up
(All contributions are cumulative)
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,.:' '" pledges may be paid_rllonthly th roushoutthe . .
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. ~-. : . yea.r. This.pa rtnersh!p fund,allows those'"" , and con~er~e ' sl ~n1flcant I ~mds :'Ithln ~nzzly . , •.
concerned cOflservati~nist~ with 'an opportu, ,--:' ~ear range, habitat c,apltal,for Imm.e~ ~ate. ;md :
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nitytod0nate $lOto $999 Jor.Vital Gro vnd's ' c ' tlm.elyuseolJ th.e.ground ; andcre~ l~d J lyand - "
mission . . It's €I fa rrteslic.w aY fOfcpeoplefro''; '. " p~wer to mo.ve,forward with othe.r land · I.',',
... all walks of lif~' to 'joi'n us in our partnersnip
steward.s andconservdtion,groups to protect r
efforis ~~
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key habitats that are in jeopa rdyof.develop. '
-:.~ ' AlI'denors will rec~;i ve Vital Grou~ci's '
~ .'!lentor other negative impacts:
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... .i, ~. newsletter and · ~nf1ua·l · ap~eals for special ~'
-~ '" Benefits ,to the Vital Habitat Fund contributor
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('*:o,t-the:lnvestor level and above) include 'a ~
. " projects.
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' seat on the Vital G round Habitat Advisory ,
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"'Committeewhich 'meetsonceay~arih
.. ita .. , q ,~ i.tdt . ,'uh '
p"
Jhe Vital Fidbitat fund will
b~ u~ed for the .
"~"'"
' Moni<i~a for d ~o-day retr~at. 'The two day .
,
event will include educafional seminars ftom "
pu~poses of acquisition p nd ~asem~nt sup-port" . ~ .leadIng wildlife biologists. social functions,
, in area; ofstrategic imp'brtance.
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: The mainf6cus forJand acquisition a'nd
securing donated coiis.ervoJion egsemenls for '
recreationaLactivlties, natural history '
p'resentations and direct input (1) key project
needs f6r th'e proiection gnd recovery of the
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SpeCJQ 'Cnarlto _e .~~
G·ft
:ld ' '. F' ~ D"
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.eas or QnGrs..
.~ Th~rear~ a number of-options.dvailable for '
donors who are interesl eq i ~,'supporti'ng the ' , : '
conservation,efforts of-Vital 'Ground 'through
creative tax and estate planning vehicles, We
enco~rage you to sp~qk with your legal . ..$
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counsel and,accountant about the option that
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may best suit YOl!~ 'needs. "~ . ,"
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• Gifts of Secorities .'
• Real Estate Gift
• ~equests
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• ~ife-Income G.ifts gn'd Trusts u':
• Charitable Rem,aiiider Trust
• Cfia£itable Gift .Afrinuity '. '.". ,
ihe Vital Ground Founct9tion lies in Montanq , " ~- grizzly,
We "":ould be hoppy 't~:s~n9 y~uadditi~~~I
' . Donors wh0 pledge arid contribute $5 ;000 ~ .' infor.malioi! on oneor,allof the programs
.Vital 'GrOliJidwili dlso be linking migmlion
- corrid.ors a~d ~cosys. tems,· coi:lse;ving Idna,in
'. mor.e will dls,o receive the Vital Gro.und
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listed .. Plea,se ~end your contributions'to:
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: other stat!Js and Canadian provinces, and'. ~, • -· bronze of a sow g'rizzly ood ner-two c ub's,
. workil'!.g withlandowr.rerscon· habit~tcar~ 6,nd ,'. _ fhi~ limited eQiti on '~olrectbr's piece was '
Vital Ground Foundation
• m~ il')te nanc~ ,th[Qugh fhe Vital flabitatFund , "
created exclusively.for Vital'Ground by well,
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P.O. Box 2971
T:hese'spec,i al c;ontribution s will giye the ' . '. known fine,artist 'B9b Scriver.
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., Missoula, MY 59806
. } £ital Gr ound Foundation.the ability to ac.citJir~ .
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IIIr TrlllunelSunday/FebnIaJy 511995
.'7A,
AMERICAN NOTEBOOK
' Cof1~ervaticm Agr~ernent :_o ~
Propos~d, EOfThee,GrizzlyB~ar '~
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'~onservqti~npartnership between ' '"
orie of,the largest private larjdowners
of grizzly bear habitat 6~d ~t~te 'a nd '
federal agencieswas:cmnoun:cec( in
: March by Plum Creek Timber Company,
, : Montana Department ~f State Lands (DSL)" , ; ,
, "
V.S.D,A Forest Service (USFS) and the U.S : ,_'
' -Fish and Wilcllife Service. 'The proj~~t are~covers nearly 370,000 acres in<west ern ' •
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Montana.
,'" 'fhe cmrlOunce;;'ent was touted as "a
.fandinarkagreement in principle fort~i '-,
,conservation of grizzly bears in the,Swan
. Vall~-/~f Mbntanci':' '_
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Major elements of the 'agreement include
protection 6f grizzly bear "Iin~age zones" in .
the Swan Valley, limitatio'ns on commercial
-timber hqrvest, protectiono f stream slde areas
"'and road management. Th~ ' ;'lirikqge ~ones" '
will prOVide critical corridors for·bears-to
move' be\w.een the Bob MarshGlIl and the
Mi_ssion Mountain Wilderness Areas, , "
The agreement also provides for ongoing
. , monitoring a,ndresearch.ofgrizzly 6eais~
Plum Creek, as the nation's largest private
land!=,wner of grizzly bear habitat, DSL arid ~.
USFS will ,play. key roles in the rec~very of th~ _
bear.
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. The'conservalion ~greement outli'~es
strategie~ through which the landpwners can
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coopetgtive[y manage their lands to enhance
', bear-recovery eff_ort~ while ~ontinui~g f'o~es!ry,<
,activities, II will'nofiake effect however, until ,
the U'S "Fish and Wildlife Servieecbmpletes
'Jfie'appro~risite environmental qssesshients "
" and publiF 9pinion polls, ,
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E'd ucat'i o'n Notes
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*VitaI9ro,und-board members Doug ,and
Lynne Seus hGve conductec;!. nLimerpus
, educational se,m!nars using Bart, a 1,50,cf{
pound grizzly, ani:Ltheir other trained animals
,
, Fo~ thousands of people si nce the ' .
organ ization's,inception . 'Schoots,-boy '~nd
girl scout troops, and local church and civic
" grQups ha~e all'learned kom the Seus', Their
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,message fOGuses on the Jmportance of
... p ·rotecting hGbitat, wildliFe awareness and
, conservation for fhegreat-bear and other wild
-, animals :
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telatively undisturbed, fomted
land.
Mlaoa1a, MOIIt.
In tar nonhwestern Montena, the
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Grizzly bears' survival rests
in human hands that touch habitat
'*More than 275 peo~le atte~ded a social!
How the arizzly inleTlCll with
man and is afI'tcted by bit na_
alterin& habi.. is a com,. aub
ject. But it boils down to a simPle
equation: The easier it is for man
to pi into bear habitat, the more
beara will die
the winter.
As they sleep in their dens, livina
off fitt reserves for tbe next few
months, a lonl-runninl bailIe
about their future will continue to
rqe.
~:=et:.~!:; ,
Isolated in their wilderness . .
doubt cut off from tarser bear
populations and blocks of suitable
habitat to the east by the loaina
roads, timber cleat-aJts, housins
developments and farms that
mark man's intrusion into their
world the dozen or SO srizzlies
remainins in the Cabinets &R liv
ina on the precipice.
people," said Rick MIce, • ..
IC8n:b bioIosist with the Montana
Department of F..... Wildlife and
Parks.
...no.
The conftict is clear in the
al foresIs of the northern Roddea,
which &R III&IIIIOd IIIIder • "mul
tiplo-Ule" mandate that is aupo
to ~ rooIl! ~or bunq
r
The fraci1ity of this remnant pop
ulation underscores the obstacles
to preserving wbat one writer
called the "symbolic and livina
embodiment of wild nature un
conllOUed by man."
Grizzly bears once numbered
more than SO,OOO and ranaed
across a dozen states &om the
mid-Plains to California. Ni_
teen years after the federal govern
ment put the arizzly on its list of
threatened species, the srizzIy's
rapid decline has been halted. But
for all the attention and resources
- CUJTentiy $2 million a year , lavished on UTSUS arctos horribi,
"lis) . there stiD is rio consensus
about bow to auarantee its sur
vival.
The publication last y~r of a ~
vised version of the ,overnment'J
plan for arizzly recovery has . .
kindled a fiem: conflict amona
conservationists, biologists and
land manaaen. It is waged on
many &onts, from the esoteric
::~t!!:p::~~ ~~a~!tt~ '::
elusive, far-ranain, mammal in
rou", and wild country to the
federal courts, where the recovery
plan is beiDa chaIIenaed by some
envimnmentalllOURSAnd because it involves millions
,
of
acres of public land aImody
beiDa fought over by environmen
talists, lops. ranchers, miners
and recreationists, the conftict is
u much political u scientific.
Bear researchers estimate that 900
to 1,000 ~es &R left in a few
hical1y dislinct _
in the
~8 states. The \araest popu
lation several hundred beara
inhabits a 10,QOO.squaro-mile area
of Montena !mown u the North
ern Continental Divide ~
tem, which spreads over Glacier
National Park and adjacent na·
tional forests.
All estimated 2S0 srizz!ies occupy
YeUDWSIone National Park and
surroundina national fores... Per
haps several dozen live in the Sel
kirk Mountains of nonheastern
Washin,lon and nonhwestern
Idaho, 10 the west of the smaU
arizzly population in the Cabinets
It also is believed that a few grizz
lies move in and out of the north
ern Cascades in north-central
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For _pie, the Kootenai Na
tional FOIaI, whidI includes the
Cabinet Mountaina, baa 7,200
mila of roads, _
of them buih
for ~ _ _ Since the bear
wu listed u thrateoed in 1975,
S.3 biIliOll boanI-&et of timber
haw beeft' I~ ill the Kootenai;
and since 197~, about 1,600 mila
of road have been CODIInICIed.
From the air, the roads 8pPC!1 u
a vast latticework COIIIIeCIIDI bllD
cbeds of timber clear...... - all of
it a beni.er to pizZIy movement
between recov~ zones.
_IIR
UDder IepI
&om .vi
ronmentaliats and admiDiItratiw
nudlina by the U.S; Filii and
WiJclIife Servi<e, national fIIIaIa
in bear country &R acceIenlilll
the pace of b10ckiDa and cIoaiDa
roads. But Dot fUt eDOUIb. I&Y
many critica.
WashinatOD, ,
The !imitin, factor for the arizzly
is the inexorable shriokaae of hab
itaL To satisfy their enormous
protein and carbohydrate require
ments, the omnivorous J>ears have
large home ranaes. and they need
Rep~i ~.i;a Frorn.lhe'Miimeapolis Star Trib;';n~, Mirineapol(s Mrrin~sotci. '·,.•
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' educ~li6n~1 CFuncti'on h;n~rin~ Vital Gr6Crid in.' .
Los Angeles, talifo~~ia and hundreds·of
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people attended the dedicatio~ for the first
acquisition project in Montana .
, . *The U.S. FarestService has benefited by
' testing '~ Bear Proqf Boxes a-~d Panniers," wrih
• ,Bart, and through edUc(ltional Films on _safe ~ ~,
" camping 'and hiking in beqr country also:
, featuring ,Bart. -,
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strategic acres conserved will be the itnmedj:' "
ate.focus of fhenew execuli\'e (h~ctor.- To' '::
.date; the founders and vorunle~r board of '
,truslees have cqmpleted a. npmber'of sig'nifi
cant ccmsElrvation p-rograms. A summQr,yof
" these prcijeci~ qnd a' progress reporCV:ill.be ,: ,
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featured In-eac;:hissue pf the 'newsle~er. :_
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*Rc;lseardi projects have also been' ' '\' c
;;..completed using the s~us' \Yolf pacJ and olner
.,>< animals: These studiesha~e ineiuded scat '
- While the di~ection ofViial Gro~~a '
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genetic informati~n (es~~r(::h:
c,ontinues to matu~e,d0ilar~ on-the-grou~d .ahd ' " . a~aly~is Gnd
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Projects To Date
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· pa-rtnersof.ihe:Grinly:
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. ' Ihaye e,ndosed o l1 d pl~dge mY'onr:iu9 1s.upport ih th~amOun't of $_: _~.,,_--,--_
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. I wish t9 in'crea~e my level9f support
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by participating in the.Vital ·Habitat Fund jnjhea[nQunt of $~._. -:-:' --,-'___~.'
·F~ie~d: , .. .~ .:".~:~.- :~ . :>.:.;._
;..,. ::'.:.. .:.:.::.. ~ ... . ~ .....· ~1 ,009 fO.$5~OOO~ .' . po;t~er': " " "" :" :~" H" ;':: "'_;~' :'" :. ~.'.,:..~~.. :... :;. $25) 001 to $50,000~
Associate :.... :......... .. ....: .. :..: ....... ..:.:: ... •,...-:..:: $5,001 io $10,000 .
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Ih~e~t~r:
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BelJefactor: .:.: :.:.'.... .-........ :.. .: .. .. ... :: .. :.:.. ;•. $50,QO 1.fo $100,000
~: . / .. ~ .. :.. ~:~:: ..~~: ...'.. ;.-.-:;:>;.$:10,001 to $2~;bO:6 . GoI9.enBer:lefqct~r ....;:::.. .: ;: .: .:..... :,'., .. ;~ .. :~ .. :. :. $JOO,OO ( COlnd up' .
Name._____________________________________.Address________________________________________________
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City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.State._ _ _ _ _ _Zip_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
Home Phone_______________________ Business Phone________________________.FAX._______________________
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Individual Gift
0
Foundation Gift
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Corporate Gift Individual donors: please note that your employer may match your gift.
Check with your personnel department and strengthen your gift to the Vital Ground Foundation .
Business/Foundation Name.___________________________________________________________________________
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Please contact me regarding planned giving (wills and bequests)
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Please contact me regarding other Charitable Gift Ideas
I would like my gift to remain anonymous
BULK RATE
U.S. Postage
. PAID
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Missoula, MT _
. - Permit No.
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:-' :Forwa rd[ng& Retu;~
'.: Postage' Gucir~ l,1 t~et.l,
, Address Correction _:
.'.:, Requ ~sted .'
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