We awarded Wild Salmon Center a Public Lands Defense Fund grant to build grassroots support for the Elliott State Forest. On May 9, 2017, the Oregon Public Lands Board unanimously voted to cancel the sale of the 82,500-acre Elliott State Forest to a timber company. Almost half of trees in the Elliot State Forest are over…
In 2016, we awarded a $35,000 grant to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (HILT) to protect a 10 acre parcel in the Kona Cloud Forest, located on the big island of Hawaii. In 2017, HILT acquired the easement which protects the forest and other conservation values of the property, restricting additional subdivision and development of…
Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve acquired 688 acres of forest along the Yellow Dog River in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The new Yellow Dog River Community Forest permanently protects public access to the Yellow Dog River, wetlands and forest for non-motorized recreation. In addition to river frontage and waterfalls, visitors can find upland mixed forests, old…
With support from The Land Trust of Tennessee and The Conservation Fund, a group of partners led by Access Fund and Southeastern Climbers Coalition purchased Denny Cove from a private timber owner. The 685-acre Denny Cove tract is now part of South Cumberland State Park. Transferring ownership was the final step in a multi-partner, six-year effort…
President Obama expanded the California Coastal National Monument to include six new areas: Trinidad Head; Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch; Lost Coast Headlands; Cotoni-Coast Dairies; Piedras Blancas; and Orange County Rocks. Members of California’s Congressional delegation led a legislative effort to expand this monument, which enjoys widespread support throughout California. Congress failed to act leading to President Obama’s proclamation. The original…
In January 2017, the Bureau of Land Management executed a 20-year mineral withdrawal for 101,021 acres in Southwest Oregon, protecting the area from any new mining activity. The area includes Rough and Ready Creek, Baldface Creek, Hunter Creek, the North Fork Pistol River and the North Fork of the Smith River. As a result, 107…
In January 2017, President Obama added 48,000 acres to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. 42,000 acres of the monument expansion are in Southwest Oregon, and 5,000 are in California. The original 66,000-acre national monument declared in 2000 by President Bill Clinton was explicitly designated to protect the area for it’s biological diversity. The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument…
We awarded the Red River Gorge Climbers’ Coalition (RRGCC) a grant to protect the spectacular cliffline, world-class climbing, and natural beauty of the 102-acre Bald Rock Recreational Preserve from the threat of private development. In 2017, they purchased the Kentucky property, securing access to a popular set of world-renowned climbing areas—including the Motherlode, the Chocolate…
President Obama designated the Bears Ears National Monument, permanently protecting 1,350,000 acres of public land in southeastern Utah. The Bears Ears landscape is home to thousands of Native American cultural sites, which inspired a coalition of tribes to band together to push for the designation. The region also boasts world-class rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking,…
President Obama added to his significant conservation legacy by designating the Gold Butte National Monument, permanently protecting 296,937 acres of public land in southern Nevada. Gold Butte – also considered Nevada’s piece of the Grand Canyon – includes rugged mountains, Joshua tree and Mojave yucca forests, outcroppings of sandstone, and braided washes that turn into…
