Bear River Watershed Conservation Area: Conserving Wildlife Habitat on Working Landscapes

The purpose of this Agreement is to provide financial assistance to the National Wildlife Refuge Association in support of collaborative work between them and the Bear River Refuge to further the goals and accomplish objectives of the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area, and to work with the Friends of Bear River Refuge to establish an endowment fund for conservation education in the watershed. The proposed Bear River Watershed Conservation Area (BRWCA) project would work with private landowners to conserve the natural resources and working landscapes of the area by acquiring conservation easements from willing sellers, the project would help maintain important habitat for a variety of fish, mammals, and migratory birds and major migration corridors connecting the northern and southern Rockies. It would also coordinate watershed-wide conservation efforts and protect valuable farm and ranch lands. 

In the course of its 500-mile journey, the Bear River passes through three national wildlife refuges: Cokeville Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. The primary routes of migratory birds following the Pacific end central flyways combine in the Bear River watershed. The refuges and adjacent areas provide essential habitat for many species of waterfowl and wading, shore, and upland birds that migrate through on their way to and from Canadian and Alaskan Interior and coastal wetlands. In addition to the importance of the proposed BRWCA to bird species, a number of mammals are dependent on’ the blocks of intact habitat and the key migration linkages between these areas. Elk, mule deer, moose, and pronghorn depend on key wintering access and migration corridors throughout the proposed BRWCA.