| YUS Conservation Area | |
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Matschie's Tree-kangaroo, an endangered endemic species found in YUS |
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| Location | Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea |
| Nearest city | Lae |
| Area | 760 km² |
| Established | 2009 |
YUS Conservation Area is a protected area on the Huon Peninsula, Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. 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 760km² area of tropical forests is stretching from coral reefs off the northern coast to the 4,000-metre peaks of the western Saruwaged Mountains. It is a critical habitat for the endangered endemic Matschie's Tree-kangaroo.[3]
While the land remains under local customary ownership, villagers from 35 villages have formally committed to prohibit all hunting, logging and mining within the land that has been pledged to the conservation area.[3]
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.[3]