Cascades to Rockies

Connecting the North Cascades and Rocky Mountains through habitat restoration, wildlife corridors, and partnerships that protect one of North America’s most important movement pathways for wildlife.

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Our Approach

Linking the North Cascades and the Rocky Mountains through connected habitat, restored corridors, and resilient forest and river systems.

The region stretching from the North Cascades through the Okanogan Valley and Kettle Range into British Columbia holds some of the last intact pathways for wildlife moving between the Cascades and the Rockies. These routes are essential for species that need room to roam, adapt, and survive as the climate changes. Our work focuses on keeping these pathways open by restoring forests and watersheds, securing key habitat, and working with partners throughout these landscapes.

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Current Focus

Work We’re Doing to Achieve Cascades to Rockies Goals

Habitat Protection

Our work in the Cascades to Rockies corridor brings together land protection, habitat restoration, wildlife recovery, and community partnerships to secure one of the most important east-west movement routes in the Northwest.

We helped protect 9,243 acres of critical wildlands through the Cascades to Rockies Capital Campaign, transferring these lands directly to the Colville Confederated Tribes to support long term stewardship and cultural connection. Through the Sagelands Heritage Program and the Safe Passage Highway 97 project, we advance wildlife crossings, habitat restoration, and grassland protection in the transboundary Okanogan Valley.

We also support the Working for Wildlife Initiative, a public private partnership focused on restoring habitat, recovering native wildlife, and preserving working lands across the Okanogan Valley and Kettle River Range.

Regional Partnerships

Across this landscape, we collaborate with Tribes, landowners, agencies, and local communities to protect habitat and improve connectivity for species including Canada lynx, sharp tailed grouse, mule deer, gray wolves, and grizzly bears from the Cascades to the backcountry roadless areas on the Colville National Forest.

Through our Forest Field Program, we partner with local businesses, recreation leaders, and elected officials to advance forest and watershed restoration on the Colville and Okanogan Wenatchee National Forests, including active participation in the Northeast Washington Forest Coalition.

We also lead efforts to preserve private ranchlands in the Okanogan and Tunk Valleys, securing the integrity of this continental wildlife corridor and supporting long term ecological resilience.

Impact & Results

A History of Cascades to Rockies

The Cascades to Rockies is a key wildlife corridor connecting the Cascade and Rocky Mountains, where conservation focuses on maintaining habitat connectivity and reducing fragmentation.

A globally significant wildlife corridor

Critical habitat for wide ranging and sensitive species

Landscape connectivity is increasingly threatened

A globally significant wildlife corridor

The Cascades to Rockies region spans the mountainous landscapes of northeast Washington and southern British Columbia, crossing the shrubsteppe plateaus, and linking the Cascade Mountains with the Rocky Mountains. This transboundary landscape forms one of North America’s most important wildlife connectivity corridors, enabling wide ranging species to move between major mountain ecosystems.

Critical habitat for wide ranging and sensitive speciesWashington’s 20 Year Forest Health Strategic Plan

The region supports species such as gray wolf, Canada lynx, wolverine, grizzly bear, and moose that depend on large, connected landscapes. Maintaining habitat connectivity across this international corridor is essential for sustaining healthy wildlife populations and long term ecological resilience.

Landscape connectivity is increasingly threatened

Expanding development, road networks, and shifting forest conditions are fragmenting habitat and limiting wildlife movement across the region. Conservation efforts focus on protecting key corridors, restoring habitat, and working with communities and land managers to ensure wildlife can continue moving between ecosystems as climate and land use pressures grow.

Impact & Results

Our Key Accomplishments in Cascades to Rockies

From protecting critical landscapes to advancing collaborative forest restoration, these efforts deliver lasting benefits for wildlife, habitat connectivity, and climate resilience.

Tribal Land Return

Protected the critical Figlenski Ranch and returned it to Tribal ownership

Conservation Northwest raised more than $4.6 million to purchase and conserve 9,243 acres of the historic Figlenski Ranch in Washington’s Tunk Valley, ultimately transferring the land to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. This property is considered the linchpin of the Cascades to Rockies wildlife corridor, connecting habitat for species such as lynx, wolverine, and mule deer while restoring land to its original Tribal stewards.

Okanogan Connectivity

Advanced wildlife connectivity across the Okanogan Valley landscape

Through Cascades to Rockies initiatives—including land protection efforts around areas such as Palmer Lake and wildlife crossing work along U.S. Route 97—Conservation Northwest has helped secure key private lands and improve safe wildlife movement across the Okanogan Valley, strengthening ecological linkages between the Cascade Mountains, the Kettle River Range, and the broader Rocky Mountain system.

Working for Wildlife Initiative

Strengthened regional collaboration through the Working for Wildlife Initiative

Conservation Northwest helped launch and continues to lead the Working for Wildlife Initiative, a cross border partnership uniting Tribes, agencies, conservation groups, and local communities to protect and restore habitat across the Cascades to Rockies corridor. This collaborative framework has accelerated land protection, improved connectivity planning, and aligned conservation priorities across Washington and British Columbia.