THE VITAL GROUND FOUNDATION INC

LAND CONSERVATION: VITAL GROUND IDENTIFIES CRUCIAL GRIZZLY BEAR HABITAT ON PRIVATELY OWNED LAND AND WORKS WITH WILLING LANDOWNERS TO PROTECT THE LAND'S CONSERVATION VALUES. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY ACQUIRING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS THROUGH DONATION OR BARGAIN PURCHASE, OR BY PURCHASING LAND IN FEE TITLE THEN MANAGING IT TO BENEFIT WILDLIFE AND THE PUBLIC. VITAL GROUND HAS A PERPETUAL RESPONSIBILITY TO MONITOR THE LANDS ON WHICH IT HOLDS CONSERVATION EASEMENTS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS. VITAL GROUND ALSO MANAGES AND WORKS TO RESTORE THE LAND IT OWNS TO PROVIDE QUALITY HABITAT FOR THE BENEFIT OF GRIZZLY BEARS AND OTHER WILDLIFE. IN ADDITION TO DEVELOPING AND MANAGING ITS OWN PROJECTS, VITAL GROUND STRATEGICALLY PROVIDES GRANTS TO AGENCIES, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES AND OTHER NONPROFIT CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS TO ASSIST THEIR EFFORTS TO CONSERVE AND RESTORE IMPORTANT WILDLIFE HABITAT AND PREVENT CONFLICTS BETWEEN BEARS AND PEOPLE.2024 ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:CONSERVATION EASEMENTS - ACQUIRED ONE CONSERVATION EASEMENT IN MONTANA TOTALING 160 ACRES TO PROTECT HIGHLY THREATENED GRIZZLY BEAR HABITAT IN A KEY LINKAGE AREA BETWEEN THE NORTHERN CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND BITTERROOT GRIZZLY BEAR RECOVERY AREAS.- MONITORED TWENTY-THREE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS HELD BY VITAL GROUND IN MONTANA, THREE CONSERVATION EASEMENTS HELD BY VITAL GROUND IN IDAHO, AND FOUR U.S. FOREST SERVICE FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM CONSERVATION EASEMENTS HELD BY THE IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF LANDS IN IDAHO. LAND ACQUISITION AND MANAGEMENT- ACQUIRED TWO PROPERTIES TOTALING 60 ACRES IN FEE-TITLE IN MONTANA TO PROTECT WILDLIFE HABITAT AND SCENIC VALUES, AND TO SPECIFICALLY CONSERVE KEY GRIZZLY BEAR HABITAT IN THE CABINET-YAAK AND NORTHERN CONTINENTAL DIVIDE ECOSYSTEMS.- CONTINUED PROMOTING THE GOALS OF THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE'S COMMUNITY FOREST AND OPEN SPACE PROGRAM THROUGH FOREST STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITIES AT VITAL GROUND'S ALVORD LAKE COMMUNITY FOREST, CONDUCTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PUBLIC STAKEHOLDERS' COMMITTEE THAT GUIDES MANAGEMENT OF THE FOREST.- MONITORED AND MANAGED FIVE FEE-TITLE CONSERVATION PROPERTIES IN IDAHO AND SEVEN FEE-TITLE CONSERVATION PROPERTIES IN MONTANA.- CONDUCTED WILDLIFE HABITAT ENHANCEMENT ACTIVITIES ON PROPERTIES IN BONNER COUNTY, IDAHO, AND IN LINCOLN AND SANDERS COUNTIES, MONTANA.

CONSERVATION EDUCATION: VITAL GROUND PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT GRIZZLY BEAR AND ASSOCIATED WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION THROUGH ITS PRINT AND DIGITAL PUBLICATIONS, SPECIAL MAILINGS, WEBSITE, EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA, IN-PERSON AND ONLINE EVENTS, VIDEOS AND OTHER MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PARTICIPATES IN COLLABORATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO PROMOTE THE CONSERVATION OF GRIZZLY BEARS AND THEIR HABITAT, PREVENT CONFLICTS BETWEEN BEARS AND HUMANS AND ENHANCE THE SURVIVAL OF GRIZZLY BEARS. 2024 ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:- PRODUCED ROUGHLY 12,000 COPIES OF VITAL NEWS, THE ORGANIZATION'S BIANNUAL 16-PAGE PRINT NEWSLETTER THAT REPORTS ON GRIZZLY BEAR AND WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION ISSUES AS WELL AS PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.- PRODUCED 12 MONTHLY EMAIL NEWSLETTERS ("VITAL ENEWS") PLUS 1-2 OTHER EMAIL CAMPAIGNS PER MONTH, EACH DISTRIBUTED TO APPROXIMATELY 10,000 UNIQUE RECIPIENTS (289,421 TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS). THESE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS REPORTED ON GRIZZLY BEAR AND WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION ISSUES, EMERGING PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES, CONSERVATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS, CONSERVATION AND BUSINESS PARTNERS, FUNDING NEEDS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT VITAL GROUND'S MISSION.- PRODUCED OTHER ASSORTED PRINT POSTCARDS, BROCHURES AND PROMOTIONS THAT REPORTED ON GRIZZLY BEAR AND WILDLIFE HABITAT CONSERVATION ISSUES, EMERGING PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES, CONSERVATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS, CONSERVATION AND BUSINESS PARTNERS, FUNDING NEEDS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT VITAL GROUND'S MISSION.- MAINTAINED A WEBSITE (WWW.VITALGROUND.ORG), INCLUDING A BLOG TYPICALLY UPDATED MULTIPLE TIMES PER MONTH (20 TOTAL POSTS IN 2024), THAT PROVIDED COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT GRIZZLY BEARS AND ASSOCIATED WILDLIFE, NEWS AND SCIENCE UPDATES ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION ISSUES, CURRENT GRIZZLY BEAR CONSERVATION PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES, AND VITAL GROUND CONSERVATION PROJECT AND PARTNER ACCOMPLISHMENTS. VITAL GROUND'S WEBSITE EXPERIENCED 101,121 USERS AND 184,947 SESSIONS DURING 2024.- PRODUCED DAILY FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM UPDATES PROMOTING WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTION, GRIZZLY BEAR NATURAL HISTORY AND CONSERVATION EDUCATION TOPICS TO AN AUDIENCE OF OVER 53,000 FOLLOWERS ON FACEBOOK (UP 5 PERCENT IN 2024) AND OVER 8,800 FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM (UP 16 PERCENT IN 2024). PRODUCED TWO NEW VIDEOS AND GREW VITAL GROUND'S YOUTUBE AUDIENCE TO A TOTAL OF 28,200 SUBSCRIBERS.