Nine outdoor industry companies have joined The Conservation Alliance since the August OR Show. With a steady increase in membership, the Alliance now boasts 165 companies.
The new members are: Nester Hosiery, Inc.; Adventurecorps, Inc.; Ultrarunning Magazine; Terri Schneider; Cosmic Planet; Leisure Trends; Outdoor Sports Marketing of SC, Inc.; Outdoor Industry Jobs; and Justin Bailie Photography.
Each company joins at a time when the Conservation Alliance is focused on recruiting as many industry companies as possible. Each member company pays annual dues into a central fund, and the Alliance donates those funds to grassroots conservation organizations. The Alliance plans to donate $900,000 in 2009.
At the same time, the political landscape for conservation has rarely – if ever – been as bright as it is today. With a conservationist in the White House, and solid pro-conservation majorities in both houses of Congress, opportunities for conservation in the US are many.
"The grants we make over the next two years will be seeds planted in fertile political ground," said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance Executive Director. "Our new and existing members will help save some very important wild places in the near future."
Building on a partnership launched in 2005, KEEN Footwear has matched the first year's dues of the new member companies. With these new additions, KEEN has thus far matched $421,100 in new member dues since June, 2005.
New members include from the manufacturers, publications, freelance photographers, mills, sales representatives, creative agencies, and other industry vendors.
"Our community of conservation-minded companies continues to grow," said Sterling. "Together, we will save the wild places so important to outdoor customers."