Profiles written by Courtney White, originally published in Headwaters News.
Headwaters News Website

The Nature Conservancy helps sage grouse habitat restoration efforts by providing graze to cattle on its Wyoming Heart Mountain Grassbank.

Excerpt:
"Innovation has a way of turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones.

"When The Nature Conservancy purchased the scenic 16,000-acre Heart Mountain Ranch in 1999, it considered selling the 600 acres of irrigated ground that came with the property. After all, what did The Nature Conservancy, a large conservation nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving rare native plants and animals, want with irrigated agricultural ground?

"It had bought the ranch, located a few miles north of Cody, Wyo., - a growing gateway to Yellowstone National Park - to protect important wildlife habitat from the threat of development. Everything from elk to Peregrine falcons, including the endangered sage grouse, call the place home. The ranch also harbors four rare plant species of concern...."