In a remarkable act of conservation and cultural restoration, Gary Verbrugge has transferred 885 acres of forested land in Washington state to the Kalispel Indian Tribe, ensuring the property will remain protected habitat for generations to come.
The donation represents the culmination of nearly two decades of conservation work by Verbrugge, a 72-year-old retiree who spent three decades working for the Social Security Administration before returning to land his family had owned since the early 20th century. His relatives originally moved to the area from Iowa, purchasing property that would become a refuge for some of the region's most iconic wildlife.
The property encompasses critical ecological features, including stretches of the Little Spokane River and several creeks that provide habitat for bull trout, a species of significant conservation concern. In an increasingly subdivided and developed landscape, the acreage serves as essential corridor habitat for elk, deer, moose, wolves, cougar, bobcat, and eagles.
Verbrugge's conservation journey began in 2007 when he partnered with the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy to place 605 wooded acres under a conservation easement. This legal arrangement allows the organization to act as a third-party monitor, ensuring the land remains in its natural state according to the owner's wishes. Michael Crabtree, the conservation director for the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, explained that the conservancy functions as an enforcement mechanism on behalf of property owners committed to preservation.
The decision to protect the land came after Verbrugge discovered that a forester entrusted with managing his father and uncles' woodland had prioritized timber revenue over forest health. After taking early retirement to care for his aging parents, Verbrugge purchased additional property from a neighbor and returned to assess the condition of the family forest. What he found motivated him to take decisive action to prevent further degradation.
In 2025, Verbrugge expanded his conservation holdings by purchasing an additional 280 acres from his nieces and nephews. This parcel directly adjoins his existing protected land, creating a larger contiguous habitat block that provides greater ecological value than fragmented parcels.
With no direct heirs to inherit the property, Verbrugge identified the Kalispel Indian Tribe as the ideal steward for the land's future. The tribe has accepted the responsibility with what they described as profound gratitude, committing to maintain the property's ecological integrity in perpetuity.
Living alone in the forest at 72 years old, Verbrugge has found deep satisfaction in his role as caretaker of this wild landscape. He monitors wildlife activity using trail cameras, documenting the diverse array of species that call the property home.
"To see the wildlife, where they're not aggressive, they're not scared, they're just at home, is the reward," Verbrugge told the Spokesman-Review, capturing the essence of what successful habitat conservation achieves.
The transfer adds to a growing movement of private land conservation across the United States and Australia, where citizens have collectively protected approximately 85 million acres for conservation purposes. Verbrugge's donation, while modest in comparison to the total, represents a significant contribution to regional conservation efforts and demonstrates how individual landowners can make lasting impacts on landscape preservation.
The arrangement also represents a meaningful step in returning ancestral lands to tribal stewardship, a practice gaining momentum across the nation as indigenous communities work to restore their connections to traditional territories and implement time-tested land management practices.
