Heart of the Rockies Initiative delivered impactful programs for our land trust members and partners in 2024 and made significant strides in our collaborative conservation efforts. Some of the highlights of our year:
Service to regional land trusts grew In 2024, as we welcomed a new member — Elk Valley Land Trust — bringing membership to 30 land trusts across the Central Rocky Mountain region.
Keep It Connected program supported the protection of more than 81,163 acres of private land for wildlife connectivity in 2024. Since launching in 2021, the program has raised over $14 million and protected nearly 250,000 acres of important private land for wildlife connectivity. To date, 24 of our 30 member land trusts have received funding. We remain committed to ensuring all of our members are receiving funding, aiming to expand our pool of funders so our full geography is covered.
Our Carnivore Conflict Reduction (CCR) program was awarded a $5 million America the Beautiful Challenge grant. In addition, our partnership with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, along with the recently completed Conservation Innovation Grant project with the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), led to a successful Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) agreement with NRCS for $17 million to incentivize producer adoption of conservation practices that prevent conflict between livestock operations and grizzly bears.
The Rural Initiatives program (formerly Rural Development) continues to serve as a bridge connecting conservation and rural communities at a local level. Since 2019, the program has helped secure nearly $630,000 for community-driven projects and initiatives. In 2024, Rural Initiatives delivered the Get Grant Ready and Project Pitch Fest workshops for a third consecutive year, serving 109 registrants across Montana and Idaho, as well as Indiana and New Mexico. Project Pitch Fest received seven applications, which is the highest turnout we have seen since launching the program in 2022.
The annual High Divide Collaborative spring 2024 workshop brought together participants from Idaho and Montana for a storytelling workshop in Dillon, offering members the opportunity to learn about utilizing story in a variety of capacities to support their work. In August, we hosted a landowner service day; and, in October, we convened members in Dillon for a fall celebration, highlighting the work of local members and connecting as a collaborative.
