World · India Bureau
Decades-old Rocky Mountain wildlife corridor project nominated for global conservation prize
The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, which has spent three decades reconnecting fragmented habitats across North America's mountain ranges, has been nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize. The ambitious project has already established over 200 wildlife crossings and protected approximately 24 million hectares of critical terrain.
LSN India ·
Launched in 1993, the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative represents one of the largest-scale wildlife habitat restoration efforts in North America, spanning a 3,400-kilometre corridor through the Rocky Mountains. The initiative emerged from recognition that climate change and human development were fragmenting ecosystems that wildlife populations depend on for survival and genetic diversity.
To date, the project has achieved significant milestones in its mission to reconnect natural spaces. Conservationists working under the initiative have facilitated the creation of more than 200 wildlife crossings—including overpasses and underpasses designed to allow animals to safely traverse human infrastructure—while securing protection for roughly 24 million hectares of habitat across multiple jurisdictions.
Indigenous communities have played a central role in strengthening the initiative's conservation strategies, bringing traditional ecological knowledge and long-standing land stewardship practices to the effort. Recognising this partnership as essential to long-term success, project leaders have prioritised meaningful Indigenous involvement throughout planning and implementation phases.
Looking ahead, the initiative has set an ambitious target to protect an additional 20 million hectares by 2030. The recent nomination for the Earthshot Prize—a recognition of innovative environmental solutions—underscores the project's significance as other regions globally grapple with similar habitat fragmentation challenges.