"A conservation group acquired more than 1,500 acres just north of Yellowstone National Park to stop a gold mine that they say would have upset the habitat of bears and other wildlife."

"Scott Christensen was standing on a mountain looking down into Yellowstone National Park late last month when he spotted a fresh track from a grizzly bear in the mud, about two inches in front of his foot. He wasn’t scared, but rather relieved and gratified.

The bear, as well as other wildlife, including the thousands of elk that migrate through the area, would be able to keep roaming on the side of the mountain, known as Crevice Mountain, instead of ceding territory to heavy machinery and miners in search of gold.

Mr. Christensen, the executive director of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a conservation group, spotted the bear track on Sept. 25, just hours after the coalition purchased 1,598 acres of the mountainous property in Montana from a company that had planned to build a gold mine there.

Access to the land and its mineral rights had cost $6.25 million, and the purchase extinguished what Mr. Christensen said was the last viable mining threat on the boundaries of Yellowstone."

Amanda Holpuch reports for the New York Times October 16, 2023. [2]