Conservation groups have been active in obtaining easements on timber land to prevent further development in the corridor while allowing sustainable forestry.

The McArthur Lake Wildlife Corridor forms a route between the Selkirk and Cabinet mountains, and is used by species such as grizzly bear, elk and wolverine to reach the Idaho Panhandle and the Kootenai National Forest.

[9] Animals that migrate through the corridor include American black bear (Ursus americanus), Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), elk (Cervus canadensis), gray wolf (Canis lupus), grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis), moose (Alces americanus), white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and wolverine (Gulo gulo).

[11] The animals move down to lower land in the winter, taking them to the Highway 95 area, called the "McArthur Killing Fields" by an employee of the Idaho Department of Transportation.

[12] In the winter of 1996 northern Idaho received an exceptional 19 feet (5.8 m) of snow, which forced deer, elk and moose to move down to the area around Route 95.

[12] Animals other than birds killed by vehicles are, in order of frequency, white-tailed deer, turtles, otter, moose, elk and wolverine.

To the south of the culvert the topography and high water table make it difficult to install structures for wildlife crossings.

The Nature Conservancy was to match the Foundation funds, and to work with the Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative to implement the improvements, which would be selected based on cost-benefit analysis.

[14] On 11 July 2013 The U.S. Forest Service announced a $4.1 million award to acquire a 6,847 acres (2,771 ha) conservation easement from Stimson Lumber Company within and adjoining the McArthur Lake Wildlife Corridor.

[9] In September 2016 about 5,568 acres (2,253 ha) of forest to the east of McArthur Lake between Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry was placed under conservation easements, which compensate landowners for limiting uses such as development and subdivision, but allow sustainable forestry to continue.