California's Lost Coast. Photo: CWHC
2006 Grants
In 2006, The Conservation Alliance contributed $560,000 to 20 organizations.
Alaska Wilderness League (Washington, DC) $60,000
The Alaska Wilderness League is the lead organization working to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil development. We made this grant to support AWL’s grassroots campaign to build support for a protected Arctic Refuge. The effort will simultaneously defend the Refuge from the current drilling proposal, and build support for a Wilderness proposal that would permanently protect the 19-million-acre landscape from development.
American Whitewater (Cullowee, NC) $20,000
American Whitewater has launched a campaign to restore roughly 100 miles of rivers in the Headwaters of the Little Tennessee River Watershed in North and South Carolina. Over the past five years, AW has reached landmark agreements to restore several rivers, and our funding will help AW build the public support necessary to implement those agreements.
Arizona Wilderness Coalition (Prescott, AZ) $30,000
Southern Arizona’s Tumacacori Highlands is a rugged landscape home to important wildlife populations including the rare Jaguar. We supported Arizona Wilderness Coalition's effort to build local support to secure Wilderness designation for 85,000 acres of the Tumacacori Highlands. AWC is working on the Tumacacori campaign in partnership with the Tuscon-based Sky Islands Alliance.
California Wild Heritage Campaign (Sacramento, CA) $35,000
The California Wild Heritage Campaign is working to protect public lands and rivers throughout California. The Conservation Alliance supported CWHC’s effort to secure Wilderness designations for 300,000 acres of lands on California’s North Coast, including the Lost Coast. We also supported the group’s efforts to add acres to the existing Hoover Wilderness, and to secure Wild and Scenic protection for the Amargosa River.
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (Ottawa, Ontario) $20,000
Nahanni is a spectacular wilderness area in the Mackenzie Mountains of Canada’s Northwest Territories. The South Nahanni River flows through the heart of the wilderness, and its corridor is protected as the Nahanni National Park Preserve. Unfortunately, the designation does little to protect the river’s surrounding watershed. Our grant to Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society supports the group’s effort to expand the park boundary to protect the river’s entire 15,0000-square-mile watershed.
Carolina Climbers Coalition (Spartanburg, SC) $30,000
Laural Knob is a stunning granite cliff in Western North Carolina. At the base of the cliff is a grove of 200-year-old Dwarf White Oaks and Table Mountain Pines. Since the 1970s, climbers willing to trespass developed routes on unique water grooves, wave-like flares, and unusual quartzite bands. In 2005, the Carolina Climbers Coalition negotiated a deal to purchase Laurel Knob, and the surrounding forest and wetlands. Our grant brings CCC closer to their fundraising goal.
Coal River Mountain Watch (Whitesville, WV) $25,000
Throughout West Virginia, coal companies are practicing “mountaintop removal” mining. This practice literally removes the tops of mountains and places the waste in nearby river drainages. Coal River Mountain Watch is using Conservation Alliance funding to build public support for stronger regulation of these destructive mining practices.
Colorado Environmental Coalition (Denver, CO) $25,000
Colorado Environmental Coalition is leading the effort to secure Wilderness designations in Rocky Mountain National Park, Brown’s Canyon, and in the Lower Gunnison River area. CEC will use our grant to build public support for these three Wilderness campaigns.
Deschutes Basin Land Trust (Bend, OR) $25,000
Skyline Forest is a 33,000-acre privately-owned forest adjacent to the Three Sisters, the Cascade mountain backdrop for the city of Bend, Oregon. The Deschutes Basin Land Trust is working to acquire Skyline Forest as part of a larger transaction that could protect 300,000 acres of private commercial timberland that is at risk of conversion to development. Our funding will help DBLT build public support for the project.
Forest Guardians (Santa Fe, NM) $20,000
Forest Guardians’ Wild Forests, Wild Waters campaign seeks to use the Clean Water Act to designate streams and rivers within 1.7 million acres of roadless national forests in New Mexico as Outstanding National Resource Waters. The designation would permanently protect the streams, and by extension, the surrounding forests. Forest Guardians is using our support to build public involvement in the campaign, and to focus on the recreational benefits of river and forest protection.
Forest Watch (Richmond, VT) $20,000
Forest Watch works to protect and restore forests throughout New England. The Conservation Alliance supported the group’s work to engage in the process to determine future management of the Green Mountain NF, and to lay the foundation for new Wilderness designations in the forest. Specifically, Forest Watch is using our funding to build a network of businesses in the region that support stronger conservation management for the forest.
Greater Yellowstone Coalition (Bozeman, MT) $30,000
Oil and gas development in the Wyoming Range poses a significant and immediate threat to the ecological integrity of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and to some of the most outstanding recreational opportunities in Wyoming. We supported Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s campaign to stop oil and gas development and secure permanent protection for 700,000 acres of land in the Wyoming Range.
Idaho Conservation League (Boise, ID) $25,000
Idaho Conservation League has been working for nearly 20 years to protect the Boulder-White Clouds Wilderness in Central Idaho. The 300,000-acre wildland is notable for its stunning alpine peaks, lakes and meadows. The Conservation Alliance made this grant to ICL to add momentum to the group’s effort to secure permanent Wilderness protection for the Boulder-White Clouds.
Montana Wilderness Association (Helena, MT) $60,000
Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front is notable for its spectacular beauty and diversity of wildlife. Montana Wilderness Association is working to protect the Front from increasing motorized recreation and energy development. The Conservation Alliance supported MWA’s efforts to engage in the US Forest Service’s process to determine future management of the public lands on the Rocky Mountain Front.
Nevada Wilderness Project (Reno, NV) $20,000
Nevada Wilderness Project leads the effort to secure new Wilderness designations on federal lands in Nevada. NWP has used Conservation Alliance support to protect more than 2 million acres of Wilderness since 2000. Our grant supports NWP’s effort to protect roughly 200,000 acres of Wilderness in Southern Nevada’s Clark County.
Northeast Wilderness Trust (Boston, MA) $30,000
Our grant to Northeast Wilderness Trust support’s the group’s work to acquire the Wapack Wilderness in Southern New Hampshire. The Wapack Wilderness would be the largest wilderness area along the Wapack Trail. The area is a priority for conservation because of its ecological value, and its proximity to other protected lands.
Oregon Wild (Portland, OR) $15,000
Oregon Wild is leading the effort to secure new Wilderness designations on Oregon’s iconic Mount Hood. After several years of dedicated work, ONRC has successfully generated enough public support to convince Oregon’s Congressional delegation to introduce legislation to further protect wildlands on Mount Hood. We made this grant to ONRC to build additional support for new Wilderness on the mountain.
RESTORE: The North Woods (Concord, MA) $20,000
RESTORE: The North Woods is the lead organization advocating for a new National Park in the Maine Woods. The park would protect many of the remaining intact hardwood forests in Maine. Until the park is established, the lands propose for inclusion remain open to logging. Our grant supports RESTORE’s efforts to protect key wildlands within the proposed park.
Save Our Wild Salmon (Seattle, WA) $25,000
The once legendary salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest are diminishing. Save Our Wild Salmon is using Conservation Alliance funding to build support in the Pacific Northwest for the restoration of salmon populations in the Columbia and Snake River systems. In particular, SOS will use our support to organize commercial and sport fishers whose livelihoods depend on healthy salmon runs.
Winter Wildlands Alliance (Boise, ID) $25,000
As motorized recreation increases in popularity, conflicts with non-motorized recreationists also increase. The Winter Wildlands Alliance works with local partners to promote and preserve a quality human-powered snowsports experience on public lands. We made this grant to WWA to support the group’s efforts to provide services to help local non-motorized recreation advocates secure greater access for human-powered recreation.