The Conservation Alliance approved grants totaling $400,000 to 15 organizations working to protect wild places throughout North America. The donations marked the Alliance's first funding disbursal for 2009, and bring total giving to more than $7.4 million since the organization's founding in 1989.
Click here to view a complete summary of the grants.
"Our membership has taken a strong stand that, despite the challenging economy, now is the time to invest in conservation," said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. "Each of these grants is likely to bear fruit in the near future, to the benefit of the outdoor industry and our customers."
This round of grant recipients reflects the geographic distribution of Conservation Alliance members. Conservation Alliance funds will support efforts to: secure new wilderness designations in Washington, New Mexico, and Arizona; protect wild rivers in Oregon, Washington, California, and Montana; purchase a climbing area in Vermont; halt oil and gas leases on public land in Wyoming; and expand a national park in British Columbia.
"Each of these grants is an investment in the future of the industry," said Sterling. "Outdoor product users need wild places, and through The Conservation Alliance, our industry is doing its part to save those places."