It was established in 2009[1] as Papua New Guinea's first conservation area, and named after the Yopno, Uruwa and Som rivers that flow through it.

[2] The 760 km2 area of tropical forests is stretching from coral reefs off the northern coast to the 4,000-metre peaks of the western Saruwaged Mountains.

Birds include the palm cockatoo, dwarf cassowary, Pesquet's parrot, emperor bird-of-paradise, Wahnes's parotia and Huon astrapia.

[4] To establish the YUS Conservation Area, Woodland Park Zoo's Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program (TKCP) has worked with local landowners and the PNG government for more than 12 years.

TKCP was supported by Conservation International, National Geographic, and BMU (German Ministry for Environment) through KfW (German Development Bank) as part of the International Climate Change Initiative.