Honor Vermont’s Wild Legacy 

Catamounts were once a vital part of Vermont’s natural heritage — a symbol of the wild, resilient spirit that helped shape this state. Though early settlers hunted them to regional extinction, the catamount still lives on as our unofficial state mascot and a proud emblem of Vermont’s identity. Restoring catamounts would begin to repair a loss that has echoed through Vermont’s landscapes for generations.

Restore Healthy Ecosystems

Catamounts are more than a symbol—they’re a keystone species that plays a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. For millennia, they helped shape Northeastern landscapes in a myriad of ways including regulating prey populations, supporting forest regeneration, lessening zoonotic disease and enhancing biodiversity. Their return could restore these essential ecological functions and help create healthier, more resilient forests.

Make Vermont Wild(er)

Vermont has a proud legacy of restoring its forests and conserving wildlife. Once nearly 80% deforested, our landscape is now nearly 75% forested—an extraordinary conservation achievement. From the Green Mountains to the Northeast Kingdom, much of our landscape remains ecologically rich. Restoring catamounts is the next step in honoring that legacy, bringing back a species that once helped shape these very ecosystems. Their return would deepen Vermont’s wilderness, inspire awe, and offer future generations of Vermonters a living symbol of what’s possible when we choose to restore wildlife and invest in truly wild places.

They Can’t Make It Back on Their Own

Without human intervention, modeling shows it would take well over a century for catamounts to naturally return to the Northeast. Their range has already shrunk by over 50% since pre-European contact. Restoring catamounts to Vermont depends on us.  Help ensure a future where they can once again thrive across their historic range.