MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho has received a nearly $650,000 donation that will fund research into native animal species in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE).
Funded by the owner of Jackson Fork Ranch, Joe Ricketts, the donation will provide both faculty researchers and graduate students in the university’s College of Natural Resources and College of Science the chance to study four species in the GYE: Pygmy rabbits, rattlesnakes, gray wolves and pronghorns.
“Jackson Fork Ranch’s approach to hospitality is rooted in a deep and abiding commitment to sustainable conservation, which is why we are proud to partner with University of Idaho on this important scientific research,” said Ricketts, who devotes his time to conservation and other philanthropic activities. “Understanding the incredibly diverse GYE is a critical step in preserving the largest intact ecosystem in the temperate zone for future generations.”
Encompassing approximately 22 million acres, the GYE extends beyond Yellowstone National Park into larger areas of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.
The first phase of the project is expected to last two years. It will enhance the university’s biodiversity conservation research in the region and also help increase public awareness of the value of biodiversity and the conservation of natural environments.
Assistant Unit Leader of the university’s Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, David Ausband, played a key role in initiating the partnership and developing the research collaboration.
“This research will address critical conservation science needs for native species in one of the largest and most intact ecosystems in North America,” Ausband said. “The four research projects will also provide timely and invaluable science that will inform the management and conservation of these iconic species for future generations.”
