Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act of 2019 - Summer

Team Members: Anastasia Gordon, Josefina Correa, Isabelle Branco-Lo, Erifili Draklellis, Louise Efthimiou, Mariana Fajardo, Jonathan Lesser, Siti Mohd Khairi, Kelly Nunziata, Beryl Sinclair, Shuqi Zong

The Northern Rockies Bioregion represents one of the largest remaining intact ecosystems in the continental United States, supporting endangered wildlife, vital watershed systems, and economically important natural resources. However, decades of logging, mining, and infrastructure expansion have fragmented habitats, degraded water quality, and disrupted ecological connectivity. These impacts threaten biodiversity, weaken ecosystem resilience, and compromise long-term environmental stability. Protecting large, connected landscapes is essential to preserving ecological function and enabling wildlife populations to adapt to environmental change.

The legislation proposes permanent protection for more than 24 million acres of wilderness, designation of wildlife migration corridors, and restoration of degraded lands. Ecological analysis demonstrates that preserving connected habitat networks significantly improves species survival, strengthens genetic diversity, and enhances ecosystem recovery. Restoration initiatives would accelerate ecological regeneration while supporting sustainable economic transitions through conservation-based employment. Monitoring ecological indicators—including species population trends, water quality, and habitat integrity—would ensure long-term effectiveness. Protecting the Northern Rockies at a landscape scale would preserve one of the nation’s most valuable ecological regions while promoting sustainable resource management and long-term environmental resilience.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management.