In 2020, BC Conservation Foundation granted Southern Interior Land Trust to purchase 35 hectares of grassland habitat with a $50,000 grant Lot A – DL493 Grandfolks Grassland, east of Grand Forks on Morrissey Creek Road. The land provides additional year-round habitat for a herd of 200-300 California Bighorn Sheep. It provides winter and spring range for Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer, along with rattlesnake, Gopher Snake, Spadefoot Toad, Tiger Salamander and American Badger.
The low-elevation of grassland is significant for wildlife diversity. The land also lies within an ecosystem that extends into Washington State, forming a narrow band from Anarchist Summit east along the Kettle River to the Grand Forks basin.
Funding partners included Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Tom and Jenifer Foss, the Wild Sheep Society of BC, Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta, individual donors, and the Government of Canada – Natural Heritage Conservation Program.