News Archives - Center for Large Landscape Conservation

Wild Dogs In The Road - Credit: Zambian Carnivore Programme

From Yellowstone to Zambia: Protecting Safe Passage for Wildlife

Yellowstone National Park in the western United States is a crucial landscape populated by iconic species like bison, wolves, grizzly bears, elk and pronghorn that are part of the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states. Kafue National Park in Zambia is, similarly, a stronghold of biodiversity and hosts elephants, lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, and antelope, which all roam the vast landscape. Despite being thousands of miles apart, Kafue and Yellowstone share similar challenges: major roadways cut through critical habitat and impact wildlife movement.

Honoring a Visionary: Celebrating Gary Tabor’s Conservation Legacy

The end of 2025 marked the end of an era for the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. On December 31, CLLC’s visionary founder Gary Tabor retired as CEO. He established the organization based on the unwavering conviction that climate change and biodiversity loss were inextricably linked and must be addressed by not only conserving but also connecting habitat at the large-landscape scale.

CCSG Deputy Chair Jodi Hilty (far left) and Chair Gary Tabor (second from right) with the team from CLLC in Romania in 2019

Saving the Spaces in Between: CLLC Promotes International Collaboration for Connectivity

Some of the greatest success stories in conservation are the creation of formally protected areas of land and water such as national parks and reserves. While essential to conserving nature around the world, these areas alone can’t sustain biodiversity if they are isolated patches surrounded by people and infrastructure. Wildlife, especially migratory and wide-ranging species, need connected habitats to find food, water, and mates and adapt to climate change. Safeguarding the natural corridors and movement routes between protected areas forms the basis of connectivity conservation. Yet these critical linkages are increasingly threatened by rapid development and mounting human pressures.

Center for Large Landscape Conservation Announces Brendan Moynahan as New CEO

Today, Dr. Mary Pearl, Board Chair of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC), announced that Brendan Moynahan will become the next CEO of CLLC in January 2026, succeeding founder and CEO Gary Tabor. Moynahan is Chief, Wildlife Conservation Branch, National Park Service and a nationally recognized leader in wildlife science, conservation, and policy.

Collaboration in Action: CLLC at the World Conservation Congress

Species extinction… climate change… increasing pollution. There’s no denying our planet is in crisis. So how do we to avert ecosystem collapse and secure the health and well-being of all life on Earth? Held every four years, the IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) brings together thousands of conservation leaders to reach consensus on saving the environment and harnessing nature to solve pressing global challenges.

Snow leopard - © Muhammad Osama / WWF-Pakistan

Designing Infrastructure With Snow Leopards in Mind

With complex, sprawling ranges across the high mountains of South and Central Asia and low population densities, snow leopards are an elusive species. Over the last decade, however, urban centers and communities surrounding their habitats have become increasingly connected, with many more investments in infrastructure on the horizon. How can new linear infrastructure—including roads, railways, and power lines—meet human needs while protecting snow leopards, their prey, and the fragile ecosystems they depend on to survive?

Promoting Guidelines to Reduce Harm to Asian Elephants from Roads and Railways

Earlier this year, a baby Asian elephant died after being hit by a truck on Gerik-Jeli Highway, in Peninsular Malaysia. In distress, his mother stood by for hours and had to be tranquilized in order to be moved from the area. This heartbreaking event, which happened on Mother’s Day, was a sad reminder of the conflict between human development and wildlife survival. To address this problem and prevent future tragedies, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) has been co-organizing workshops with partners to promote actionable solutions in the 13 countries where Asian elephants still live in the wild.

Center for Large Landscape Conservation Founder and CEO Gary Tabor to Retire

The Board of Directors of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) announced today that the organization’s visionary founder, Gary Tabor, will retire from his role as CEO of CLLC. Mary Pearl, Chair of the CLLC Board of Directors, made the announcement: “Gary Tabor let the Board know of his plans to retire from his role as CEO after leading this organization since he founded it eighteen years ago in 2007. Through CLLC he developed an entirely new sector of conservation theory and practice, and all of us at CLLC are grateful to Gary for his leadership, drive and service. The Board will now begin the task of identifying his successor while we celebrate Gary’s contribution to our collective goals in large landscape conservation and ecological connectivity.”

US-93 Overpass, Montana - CLLC/Gabe Oppler

Montana Governor Signs Bill Approving State License Plate to Fund Wildlife Crossings

On May 8, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law that will help keep drivers and wildlife safe on the state’s roadways. House Bill 855 creates a dedicated fund and authorizes a new state specialty license plate expected to generate up to $160,000 per year. Revenues from sales of the plate will help contribute to the planning, design, and construction of wildlife crossing structures, which have been proven to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation (CLLC) supported the bill as part of its work to advance solutions that reconnect fragmented wildlife habitat in Montana and globally.

Asian Elephant And Machinery 2, Malaysia Gary Tabor

Just Published: ‘Addressing Ecological Connectivity in the Development of Roads, Railways, and Canals’

The planet is experiencing unprecedented levels of land conversion and habitat loss, often in the most biologically rich ecosystems. Despite the well-known societal and economic benefits of infrastructure, indiscriminate development of roads, railways and canals increasingly threatens biodiversity. Endangered Asian elephants are regularly hit by trains; American bison are struck just outside Yellowstone National Park; and road construction opens the door to runaway deforestation, even deep in the Amazon Rainforest.

News