In December 2014, Congress designated 14.3 miles of Illabot Creek as a national Wild and Scenic River. American Rivers helped secure the highest protection possible for Illabot Creek, nearly 25 years after the Forest Service recommended protections for this tributary of the Skagit River in the North Cascades. Due to the strong salmon presence, Illabot…
Montana Wilderness Association played a key role in securing permanent protection for one of Montana’s most iconic landscapes. In December, Congress passed the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act, adding 50,500 acres to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and 16,700 acres to the Scapegoat Wilderness. In addition, the bill designates a new 208,000-acre Conservation Management Area…
American Rivers and Washington Wild worked with a coalition of organizations in Washington to secure permanent protection for one of the most treasured outdoor recreation destinations near Seattle. Congress passed a bill in December that adds 22,100 acres to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and protects 30 miles of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and 10…
The Wilderness Support Center worked with the community-based Hermosa Creek Workgroup to protect 107,886 acres of land in southwestern Colorado. In December, Congress passed the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act (HCWPA), designating the 37,236-acre Hermosa Creek Wilderness Area and a 70,650 acre Special Management Area in Southwest Colorado. The bill permanently preserves multiple uses of…
Greater Yellowstone Coalition used our funding for its Absaroka-Beartooth Front Protection Campaign to seek permanent protection for 1.8 million acres of the Absaroka-Beartooth Front, including prohibitions on energy development in critical wildlife habitat and migration corridors. By engaging in the planning process for the Shoshone National Forest, GYC won protections for 916,441 acres, putting these…
American Whitewater used our funding to support its Colorado River Campaign to secure permanent protection of critical river flows in 80 miles of the Upper Colorado River for world-class recreation and river-related habitat. AW reports that they have secured a Recreational In-Channel Diversion water right from the State of Colorado that reserves 2,500 CFS of…
We funded Smith River Alliance’s Hurdy Gurdy Creek Property Acquisition Campaign to permanently protect the 2,000-acre Hurdygurdy Creek watershed, a key tributary of California’s Smith River, one of the crown jewels of the Wild and Scenic River System and a nationally recognized “Salmon Stronghold”. SRA reports that they have successfully transferred 320 acres of land…
The Access Fund secured permanent public access and long-term conservation of Eagle Bluff in Central Maine for future generations of climbers, hikers, and other human-powered recreationalists to enjoy. The Conservation Alliance provided the funds necessary to complete the acquisition of this 165-acre crag that climbers have been enjoying since the 1960’s. Today, the area features over 130 cracks…
The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument permanently protects 346,177 acres of Forest Service land in Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains are within a 90-minute drive of 17 million people in the greater Los Angeles area, making it one of the most accessible monuments in the country. The monument protects 70 percent of Los Angeles…
The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Mountain permanently protects 496,330 acres in New Mexico, including the Organ Mountains, the Robledo Mountains northwest of Las Cruces, the Doña Ana Mountains north of Las Cruces; the Potrillo Mountains in the southwestern part of the county; and the Sierra de Las Uvas Mountains in the Hatch region.
