At A Glance
- More than 1.25M acres protected
- More than 140 projects
- Excellent economic & environmental outcomes
In partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), we’ve protected more than 1.25 million acres of land and water resources out West. From sprawling ranches to the narrowest hiking trail, our goal is to protect the best of the West—advancing BLM’s top conservation priorities and responsible economic development at the same time.
The Best Of The West
We’ve helped protect more than 25,000 acres along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, roughly 5,000 acres at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado, key access to Idaho’s popular Snake River and dozens of other special places across the region.
Back At The Ranch
We work with willing landowners and BLM to manage rangeland resources effectively, through careful grazing and other strategic land use decisions. People win—and so do species like the sage grouse and lesser prairie-chicken, whose habitats we help safeguard.
Thinking Big
The one-of-a-kind beauty and ecology at Arizona’s Kane and Two Mile ranches make this western spot a must-see destination. It’s just one example of the bigger-than-life landscapes out West—and what we can do to save them, working with BLM and partners like The Grand Canyon Trust.
Click on the projects below to learn more about what we’ve been able to accomplish through partnering with BLM:
RELATED PROJECTS
Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
Encompassing a diverse array of habitat types, from the high, dry deserts of the Great Basin to the wet, lower-elevation forests of the Pacific Coast, Oregon’s Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument stretches across more than 54,000 acres in southwest Oregon, just north of the… Read More
Sand Ranch/Area of Critical Environmental Concern
Throughout the Southwest and Midwest, the lesser prairie-chicken’s population size and geographic range have dramatically diminished due to the widespread conversion of native prairie grasslands to agricultural uses, leaving Southeast New Mexico as one of the bird’s most important undisturbed… Read More
Beauty Mountain Wilderness Area
Beauty Mountain Wilderness Area truly lives up to its name, with its dramatic rock formations and its namesake—the 5,500-foot Beauty Mountain—providing a stunning backdrop to the increasingly urbanized region around San Diego. Already a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, The Conservation Fund’s… Read More
Canyons Of The Ancients
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, in southwest Colorado, contains some of the highest known densities of archaeological sites in the nation—averaging more than 100 sites per square mile. Cliff dwellings, villages, shrines, petroglyphs, kivas, agricultural fields and other ancient… Read More
Cottonwood Ranches
Western ranchland is disappearing and with it important wildlife habitat. Partnerships between government agencies, willing ranchers and conservation groups are increasingly important to the future of this habitat. Cottonwood Ranches, a working cattle ranch owned by the Botur family, is… Read More
Lewis And Clark National Historical Park
In 2003, in honor of the bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Fund embarked on a major campaign to commemorate this legendary journey by protecting open space, river corridors and resources associated with the passage. Through our Lewis… Read More
North Platte River
As part of an effort to provide additional recreational access along the North Platte River in southeastern Wyoming, The Conservation Fund worked with its partners to protect 275 acres along the famed Gray Reef reach, including over three-fourths of a… Read More
Upper Snake River
An area known for its world-class fishing and other great recreational opportunities, the Snake River attracts thousands of tourists from around the world each year. But the beauty of this area also brings the desire for development, which threatens the… Read More
Clark County
The Fund has undertaken several different conservation projects with the Bureau of Land Management in Clark County. Clark County Grazing Allotments Since 1996 the Fund has worked with local ranchers, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife… Read More
North Rim Of The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is one of America’s favorite destinations—more than five million people visit each year to take in the breathtaking views of this iconic landscape. It’s also the location of the Fund’s biggest land conservation project—in terms of acres—in… Read More
MEDIA GALLERY
CONTACT
Mark Elsbree
Sun Valley, ID
(208) 726-4419
melsbree@conservationfund.org
(208) 726-4419
melsbree@conservationfund.org
Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Northwest Director Mark Elsbree has been with the Fund since 1998 and currently works in the Sun Valley, Idaho office. Elsbree directs our conservation efforts in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. He holds a B.A. in Government from Dartmouth College.