Vital Ground Foundation has a rare opportunity to permanently protect 1,136 acres of critical grizzly bear habitat in northern Idaho’s Paradise Valley. Known as the Enchanted Forest, the property sits in the Cabinet Mountain foothills within the Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone and supports landscape-level wildlife connectivity stretching from Glacier National Park to the Selkirk Mountains. The Nature Conservancy’s climate resilience modeling identifies the property as above-average for long-term conservation value.
The Cabinet-Yaak grizzly population numbers only 45–55 bears, making it the smallest and most threatened in the region. Protecting this parcel provides essential spring foraging habitat for grizzlies and high-quality winter range for deer, elk, and moose. Because grizzly bears function as an umbrella species, conserving their habitat also benefits Canada lynx, gray wolf, wolverine, fisher, peregrine falcon, and dozens of other native species. The property’s three streams support native fish including westslope cutthroat trout and Redband trout, both listed as species of concern.
Idaho is the second-fastest-growing state in the nation, with a 25.3% population increase between 2010 and 2023. Rising development pressure in northern Idaho makes private parcels like Enchanted Forest increasingly vulnerable. Vital Ground’s purchase would ensure the land is never residentially or commercially developed, complementing adjacent national forest lands and an existing 1,647-acre conservation easement.
Beyond wildlife conservation, the project enhances recreational access for northern Idaho recreationalists and the Bonners Ferry community. The property contains over 25 miles of biking, hiking and skiing trails maintained by 9B Trails, a local non-profit trails organization. Long term protection of the property requires building a strong coalition of stakeholders that includes federal, state and local agencies, tribes, multiple user groups, conservation organizations and local community members. This coalition of stakeholders is committed to a conservation outcome that ensures permanent habitat protection and public access to north Idaho’s premier mountain biking and hiking trailheads.
