Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Project

Starting in January 2025, the Fondazione Capellino will support an ambitious conservation project: the creation of a large biodiversity corridor spanning the United States and Canada.
The objective of the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) project is to connect and protect a vast area of 3,400 km, stretching from Yellowstone National Park in the United States to the Yukon Territory in Canada.

Y2Y is dedicated to large-scale conservation, preserving the integrity of and restoring habitat connectivity along the Rocky Mountain range, from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the Yukon Territory.
Through a network of wildlife corridors, central protected reserves with buffer zones are established and connected to safeguard the system against the impacts of industrial and urban development.

The project spans an area of over 1.3 million km² (130 million hectares) and involves five US states—Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Washington, and Oregon. Yellowstone National Park is primarily located in Wyoming, though it also extends slightly into Montana and Idaho. The project also includes two Canadian provinces, two Canadian territories, and at least 75 Indigenous territories across Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories.

One-third of the project is situated in the United States, while two-thirds are in Canada.

PROJECT DETAILS

Y2Y works to protect crucial habitats, establish protected areas (primarily in Canada), and create safe corridors for wildlife. In the United States, efforts focus on defragmentation by removing barriers and constructing overpasses and underpasses. Additionally, Y2Y collaborates with local communities to implement actions that benefit both nature and people.

This work is a collaboration between conservation groups, government agencies, Indigenous governments, landowners, and wildlife scientists.
Existing national, state, and county parks form the foundation of the system, while the creation of new protected areas and special management zones provides the additional cores and corridors needed to complete the network.
The initiative is grounded in the scientific principles of conservation biology, assessments of focal species, and knowledge from local communities, with the added goal of promoting sustainable economies.

Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Project

PROJECT DETAILS

Project data