NFWF Announces $1.8 Million to Support Working Lands and Restore Wildlife Habitat in the Intermountain West

DENVER, CO (March 2, 2026) – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced nearly $1.8 million in grants to restore, improve and conserve sagebrush, mesic wet meadow and big game migratory corridor habitats in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. The grants will leverage $1.6 million in matching contributions, generating a total conservation impact of $3.4 million.

“The intersection of public and private lands in the Intermountain West harbor some of America’s most iconic wildlife species, cultures and landscapes,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “The Rocky Mountain Rangelands program demonstrates how public-private partnerships that leverage private and federal resources can conserve important wildlife habitat while supporting working lands and healthy rural economies.” 

The grants were awarded through the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program, a partnership between NFWF and Capri Holdings, Cargill, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Yum! Brands. The Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program was established in 2019 to work with private landowners wanting to voluntarily conserve and restore habitats for wildlife that often require large open spaces to sustain their populations, while also helping improve the economic productivity of their lands.

“Healthy rangelands can greatly support the resiliency of ranching communities and the wildlife that depend on these working landscapes,” said Carlos Saviani, Beef Sustainability Director at Cargill. “In collaboration with NFWF, we’re helping accelerate voluntary, rancher-led conservation practices that improve grazing land productivity while reducing environmental footprints and enhancing habitat and migration corridors across the Intermountain West.”

The projects supported by the five grants announced today address program priorities that include: 

• Improving management and restoration of sagebrush rangelands to benefit sagebrush-obligate and other associated species
• Securing important ungulate migrations across the landscape with specific focus on transportation conflicts, winter range and stopover sites
• Restoring habitat to benefit wetland birds and native fish 

“Partnering with NFWF, we’re working to improve water management and restore habitat across this vast landscape,” said Missy Schaaphok, Senior Director of Global Food Innovation & Sustainability at Taco Bell, part of the Yum! Brands portfolio. “Together, we’re investing in on-the-ground solutions that help keep working lands productive while strengthening conservation outcomes.”

Together, these five grants will:

• Remove or improve more than 200 miles of fencing
• Restore 569 acres of rangelands with native grasses, forbs and brush
• Improve grazing management across 307,318 acres
• Install 521 beaver dam analog structures to restore mesic habitat
• Restore 535 acres of mesic habitat
• Protect 2,000 acres through conservation easements

Learn more about the Rocky Mountain Rangelands Program here, and more about the grants announced today here.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) works with partners to foster sustainable and impactful conservation solutions so that people and nature thrive together. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF has grown to become the nation’s largest conservation foundation. Since its founding, NFWF has funded more than 23,300 projects that have generated a total conservation impact of more than $11.3 billion. Learn more at nfwf.org.

About Cargill
Cargill is committed to providing food and agricultural solutions to nourish the world in a safe, 
responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we partner with farmers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living. Our 155,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with life’s essentials so businesses can grow, communities prosper, and consumers live well. With over 160 years of experience as a family company, we look ahead while remaining true to our values. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing—today and for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center.

About Taco Bell Corp. 
For more than 63 years, Taco Bell has brought innovative, craveable Mexican-inspired food to the masses, and was recently recognized as one of Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, one of TIME’s Most Influential Companies, and Nation’s Restaurant News’ Brand Icon. For more information about Taco Bell, visit our website at www.TacoBell.com, our Newsroom at www.TacoBell.com/news, or check out www.TacoBell.com/popular-links. You can also stay up to date on all things Taco Bell by following us on LinkedIn, TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook and by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

 
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Contact:

Matt Winter, 202-857-0166, matt.winter@nfwf.org