Audubon Alaska is pleased to report we prevailed in the effort to have the Bureau of Land Management keep Teshekpuk Lake off-limits in the December 2011 oil and gas lease sale.   This is an essential short-term victory, but it doesn’t provide lasting protection for Teshekpuk Lake. The Bureau of Land Management is currently writing a new plan for the entire National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPRA), with a public comment period expected in April 2012.To learn more, see our report on the NPRA, Striking a Balance in America’s Western Arctic. The report shows why Teshekpuk Lake and its surroundings are a globally-significant Important Bird Area for molting geese, as well as key places for nesting waterfowl, staging shorebirds, and calving caribou.  We are also engaged in cutting-edge science to analyze the ways caribou use the Arctic landscape.Stay tuned for your opportunity to help protect the Special Areas of the NPRA! ... Read More

At Outdoor Retailer in just a few days, Conservation Alliance member companies raised more than $40,000 to protect wild places! Here are just a few of the highlights...‎

The Conservation Alliance Breakfast

“My connection to the environment is something very emotional; it comes from the heart for me especially now that I have become a dad.”

Wildlife photographer Florian Schulz had us all inspired and on the edge of tears during the Conservation Alliance breakfast. Schulz shared his stories and captivating photos from the Arctic. 

“I hope we can keep this planet the way it is for a while longer… fighting for this is essential.” Take action with Alliance grantee Alaska Wilderness League here.

In addition to being inspired to protect our wild places to the north, member companies stepped it up to support the Alliance and because of their help, we will e able to push even more funds into protecting the wild places we love in 2012!

The North Face made a $750,000 commitment to complete Phase One of our Legacy Fund, which will ensure permanence for The Conservation Alliance, and allow us to maintain our commitment to contribute 100 percent of our members' dues to conservation organizations.

In addition, Peter Metcalf, Black Diamond Equipment Founder and active conservationist, and his wife Kathy Metcalf, made a personal commitment of $75,000 to the Legacy Fund, and an additional $50,000 from Black Diamond Equipment to kick off Phase Two of the Legacy fund.

The Annual Canadian Cup, sponsored by Canada Goose, Arc'teryx and Baffin, raised $8,800 for the Alliance. Congratulations to the winners, KEEN Footwear and thank you to all of the teams who participated! 

 

 

 

Other member companies came together to offer up a huge lineup of awesome gear promotions, with all proceeds going directly to the Alliance. 

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this Winter OR a resounding success. If you'd like to get involved at the summer show, please email serena@conservationalliance.com for more info.

 

The ocean waters along Alaska's northern coast provide vital habitat for extraordinary wildlife, including polar bears, walruses, ice-dependent seals, endangered bowhead whales, and millions of migratory birds. The Arctic Ocean can also be phenomenally harsh: broken ice covers the water for much of the year, storms with hurricane-force winds can whip up 20-foot seas, and it is entirely dark for half the year. The federal government recently released a proposed Five-Year Program (2012-2017) for oil and gas leasing that could open up pristine new areas in the Arctic Ocean offshore of Alaska to oil drilling. The oil industry has never successfully demonstrated the ability to clean up an oil spill in the harsh conditions of the Arctic Ocean.  Send your comments by February 8!... Read More

In January 2008, The Conservation Alliance launched the Legacy Fund Campaign, a campaign to raise a $3.5-million endowment, earnings from which will cover the majority of our operating expenses. The Legacy Fund will ensure permanence for The Conservation Alliance, and allow us to maintain our commitment to contribute 100 percent of our members' dues to conservation organizations. Last week, we reached our $3.5-million goal when The North Face made a $750,000 commitment to complete the fund.TNF President Todd Spaletto (left) made the announcement at The Conservation Alliance Breakfast in Salt Lake City.

 

But, we didn't stop there.  Our original endowment goal was a great start, but the Legacy Fund remains open for contributions from anyone who wants to give something back in support of the outdoor industry's collective effort to protect wild places. Peter Metcalf, Black Diamond Equipment Founder, active conservationist, and industry leader (below), kicked off Phase II of the Legacy Campaign with a bang.  Peter and Kathy Metcalf made a personal commitment of $75,000 to the Legacy Fund, and an additional $50,000 from Black Diamond Equipment.

Announcing their commitments, Spaletto and Metcalf both spoke eloquently about the reasons for their generous gifts. Below is a reprint of Peter's comments, which touched so many in the audience.

"As I look out at all of you, here at 7am before a big day of work, I am reminded that we are much more than just an industry. We are a community, the "Outdoor Community", a community whose passion runs so deep that collaboration trumps competition relative to the great issues of life.

This is a community that has three defining qualities to it.

a.       A love for an outdoor sport - rich in adventure, athleticism, and commitment.

b.       A community of fellow passionate individuals with whom we share epics, trust, experiences and fear. We are all connected by the bond of these shared experiences - whether they are big air, big hydraulics, or big drops.

c.       The third defining element is that of the sublime places where we ply our craft, lay down our sleeping bags and brew our morning coffee. You do not need to believe in any religion to know something supreme has crafted these places and they inspire us to fight for their preservation and stewardship. Places like this help us keep our lives in perspective and remind us of our humanity.

That is why we are all here this morning.

But we are an industry, as well as a community; which means there is a fourth defining reason for the importance of these wild place places in our lives. They are the source of our Economic sustenance and our families' economic well being. We have forged our careers in this special industry, and they provide us with a lifestyle that is the envy of many.

It is our companies, which all of us here define, who give their financial support to fund The Conservation Alliance and the Alliance supports an amazing ecosystem of grassroots organizations fighting THE good fight on behalf of all of us.  If we as individuals can make a one-time contribution or  multi-year pledge to the Alliance's endowment,  there is the opportunity for us to create a situation where 100 percent of the our company's annual giving goes NOT to operating budgets but instead  to the environmental groups battling to save those last iconic places on earth.

So let me share and merge two inspiring quotes that crystallize why we should act and why YOU must act. 

The first is from the 1970's author of the Whole Earth Catalog and futurist, Stuart Brand.

Stuart wrote:

"Natural systems are priceless in value and nearly impossible to replace, but they are cheap to maintain.  ALL you have to do is defend them... "

And because we know the "ALL" in "defend" is spelled in bold capitals, I am combining his insightful words of wisdom with a call to activism by the well known anthropological author Margret Mead who wrote:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

May all of you here this morning, rise up and take your proper place as a "not so small group of thoughtful committed citizens" just as those, in the small, defiant, grassroots conservation groups are doing that The Conservation Alliance supports.

It is a lasting legacy that you can leave for your children and this industry.

 

                                                                                                     Photo: Florian Schulz                          

"My connection to the environment is something very emotional; it comes from the heart for me especially now that I have become a dad."

Last Friday morning, Florian Schulz, wildlife photographer and passionate conservationist, spoke at The Conservation Alliance Breakfast in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Staying true to the Breakfast's moto, Arrive Tired, Leave Inspired, Florian moved us all with his words and his images.

"I hope we can keep this planet the way it is for a while longer.... Fighting for this is essential."

Chris Kasser, writing for Elevation Outdoors, caught up with Florian directly after the breakfast and posted his interview here.

To learn more about the efforts to Save The Arctic and ways to take action, visit the Alaska Wilderness League here.

Check out our new PAPERLESS Annual Report for a summary of the great year we had in 2011.

In 2011, we contributed more than $1 million to conservation organizations, and our grantees delivered nine important conservation victories. Read all about it!

Click the link below to view, download and share The Conservation Alliance 2011 Annual Report. Enjoy in the celebration of success of our members and grantees!

It's that time again! Outdoor Retailer is just days away, so make sure to mark you calendars for some great Conservation Alliance events and promotions!

We're excited to welcome photographer Florian Schulz as he transports us To the Arctic through breathtaking photos, and grab your hockey stick, we're revving up for the best ever Canadian Cup for the Conservation Alliance and don't miss The North Face happy hour with special guests Conrad Anker and Jimmy Chin... and as always, bring some extra cash to pick up some sweet swag for your friends back home and yourself — and support the Alliance to boot!

 

 

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced yesterday a 20-year moratorium on new uranium mining on 1.1 million acres surrounding the Grand Canyon. The Conservation Alliance funded Grand Canyon Trust for their campaign to win this moratorium. Congratulations to Grand Canyon Trust and all of the organizations that worked so hard to preserve the integrity of one of our most special National Parks!

 Click here for the full story from the Los Angeles Times.

Join the Los Padres Forest Association and the California Wilderness Coalition for an overnight trip of exploration and trail maintenance!  The California Wilderness Coalition has partnered with the Los Padres Forest Association to host a number of volunteer trail maintenance projects in and near potential wilderness areas in Santa Barbara. On Saturday December 10 and Sunday December 11, a cadre of volunteers camped near the Santa Ynez River and Big Caliente Hot Springs and learned valuable trail maintenance skills along the Blue Canyon Trail System.  To see photos and learn more about the project, visit Los Padres Forest Association or Santa Barbara Outdoor Volunteers on Meet-up.  Our next volunteer project is scheduled for Saturday January 14 and Sunday January 15. For more details, please contact Laurel Williams: lwillams@calwild.org   ... Read More