Castleton Tower, Utah. Photo: Ben Moon
History of Effective Grantmaking
Since our founding in 1989, The Conservation Alliance has built a track record of identifying and funding the most effective conservation projects in North America. Our rigorous grant review process ensures that we support organizations that can succeed given the necessary resources. Our grants have helped organizations protect more than 49 million acres of land, stop or remove 27 dams, and preserve access to thousands of miles of rivers and several climbing areas. Following is a list of the success stories that make us proud of our work.
Mount Hood Wilderness
Grantee: Oregon Wild
Year: 2009
Oregon Wild led the effort to secure Wilderness protection for 128,000 acres of public land on the flanks of Oregon's iconic Mount Hood. This effort also protects 80 miles of streams in the Mount Hood National Forest.
Badlands Wilderness
Grantee: Oregon Natural Desert Association
Year: 2009
Situated 20 miles east of Bend, Oregon, The Badlands is the city's backyard Wilderness area. Oregon Natural Desert Association worked for nearly 20 years to secure Wilderness protection for the 30,000-acre area notable for its ancient junipers, volcanic rock formations, and Native American cultural sites.
Spring Basin Wilderness
Grantee: Oregon Natural Desert Association
Year: 2009
Oregon Natural Desert Association spearheaded this campaign to protect the 8,600-acrea Spring Basin Wilderness. The area lies adjacent to a nine-mile stretch of the Wild and Scenic John Day River, and is borders on three sides by a 30,000-acre holding managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs for wildlife and recreation.
Copper Salmon Wilderness
Grantee: Oregon Wild
Year: 2009
Working closely with a coalition of hunters and anglers, Oregon Wild played an important role in securing Wilderness protection for 13,700 acres of old-growth forest surrounding the headwaters of the Elk River on Oregon's Southern coast.
Eastern Sierra & White Mountains Wilderness
Grantees: California Wilderness Coalition & Friends of the River
Year: 2009
California Wilderness Coalition and Friends of the River, working in close partnership with The Wilderness Society and other organizations succeeded in securing Wilderness protection for 450,000 acres of public lands in the Eastern Sierra and White Mountains of California. This campaign also protected 73 miles of rivers, including the Owens River headwaters.
California Desert Wilderness
Grantee: California Wilderness Coalition & Friends of the River
Year: 2009
California Wilderness Coalition and Friends of the River partnered on this effort to protect nearly 200,000 acres of Wilderness in Riverside County, California, including additions to the Joshua Tree National Park Wilderness. The effort also protected 31 miles of streams.
Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness
Grantee: The Wilderness Society - Idaho
Year: 2009
The Wilderness Society-Idaho partnered with other organizations to secure Wilderness protection for 517,000 acres of public lands in Southwestern Idaho's Owyhee Canyonlands. This effort also protected 315 miles of rivers in the area.
Virgin River
Grantee: Utah Rivers Council
Year: 2009
Utah Rivers Council succeeded in securing Wild and Scenic River protection for 165 miles of the Virgin River and its tributaries. The Virgin flows through Zion National Park and is Utah's first waterway to win the Wild and Scenic designation.
Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness
Grantee: Colorado Environmental Coalition
Year: 2009
Colorado Environmental Coalition led the effort to secure Wilderness protection for 250,000 acres of Rocky Mountain National Park's backcountry, 94 percent of the park. This success concludes an effort that started in the 1970s, and now gives the park the Wilderness status it deserves.
Dominguez Canyon National Conservation Area
Grantee: Western Colorado Congress
Year: 2009
Western Colorado Congress, in partnership with Colorado Environmental Coalition, led the local effort to establish the 200,000-acre Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, which includes a 66,000-acre Dominguez Canyon Wilderness. The area is notable for its redrock sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, wildlife, and cultural sites.
Virginia Wilderness
Grantee: Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition
Year: 2009
Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition led this campaign to protect 55,000 acres in Virginia's Jefferson National Forest as Wilderness, Wilderness Study Area or National Scenic Area (43,000 acres is now Wilderness). A stretch of the Appalachian Trail runs through the newly protected area, which also boasts views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Wild Monongahela
Grantee: West Virginia Wilderness Coalition
Year: 2009
West Virginia Wilderness Coalition convened a broad range of stakeholders to win Wilderness designation for 37,000 acres of public land in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The new Wilderness holds some of the finest outdoor recreation destinations in the state.
Snake River Headwaters
Grantee: Campaign for the Snake Headwaters
Year: 2009
The Campaign for the Snake Headwaters succeeded in securing Wild and Scenic River designations for 387 miles of streams in the Snake River headwaters in Wyoming. Protected rivers include portions of the Snake, Lewis, Buffalo Fork, Gros Ventre, and Hoback rivers and several of their tributaries.
Wyoming Range
Grantee: Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Year: 2009
Greater Yellowstone Coalition spearheaded this campaign to protect 1.2 million acres in the Wyoming Range from new oil and gas development. This prohibition preserves the Wyoming Range for wildlife and as a mecca for hunters, anglers, and other outdoor recreationists.
Rogue River Dam Removals
Grantee: WaterWatch
Year: 2008 & 2009
Conservation Alliance funding helped WaterWatch lead the effort to remove the Elk Creek Diverson, an obsolete dam on the iconic Rogue River in Oregon. Elk Creek is the first of four dams on the Rogue that WaterWatch plans to see removed. Once removed, the Rogue will provide better habitat for salmon and steelhead, and improved boating opportunities for whitewater enthusiasts.
Yellowstone Snowmobiles
Grantee: Winter Wildlands Alliance
Year: 2008
Winter Wildlands Alliance won an important court ruling that will limit snowmobile use in Yellowstone in 2008-2009, and sets the stage for a complete ban in the near future. The ruling says the Bush Administration's decision authorizing snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park -- after a short-lived ban enacted under the Clinton Administration -- violates the fundamental legal responsibility of the National Park Service to protect the clean air, wildlife, and natural quiet of national parks, including Yellowstone, for the benefit of all visitors. The Conservation Alliance supported this effort with a $35,000 grant in 2001.
Laurel Knob
Grantee: Carolina Climbers Coalition
Year: 2007
Laurel Knob is a stunning granite cliff in Western North Carolina. Carolina Climbers Coalition succeeded in purchasing the formation and its surrounding forest and wetlands, forever preserving Laurel Knob for climbers and wildlife habitat. We supported this acquisition with a $30,000 grant in 2006.
Wapack Wilderness
Grantee: Northeast Wilderness Trust
Year: 2007
Northeast Wilderness Trust completed the first phase of the acquisition of the Wapack Wilderness in New Hampshire. The purchase, which we supported with a $30,000 grant in 2006, secures the most ecologically valuable 1,200 acres of the Wapack Wilderness. NEWT now has one year to raise funding to purchase the final 200 acres of the area.
Cedar Mountains Wilderness
Grantee: Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
Year: 2006
With Conservation Alliance support, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance built widespread public support for Wilderness designation on 100,000 acres in the Cedar Mountains of Utah’s West Desert. This special area is now protected from oil and gas development and mining, and is permanently preserved for nonmotorized recreation.
Great Bear Rainforest
Grantee: Raincoast Conservation Society
Year: 2006
In February 2006, the government of British Columbia announced the creation of a 4.4-million-acre Great Bear Rainforest Provinical Park that protects key old-growth forests on mid-coast British Columbia. We made two grants to the Raincoast Conservation Society to support the group’s work to protect this spectacular landscape, which is home to grizzly, Kermode, and black bears, wolves, and important salmon runs. The new park is an important step in the ongoing effort to save the Great Bear Rainforest, though it leaves several key areas unprotected. Raincoast will continue its efforts to gain comprehensive protection for this singular landscape
Chipeta Dam Removal
Grantee: North Fork River Improvement Association
Year: 2006
The Conservation Alliance made a timely grant to the Colorado-based North Fork River Improvement Association to support the group’s effort to remove the Chipeta Dam on the North Fork Gunnison River. Long an obstacle to paddlers and migrating fish, the Chipeta Dam was removed over the course of two weeks in February, 2006. NFRIA is now using Conservation Alliance funds to restore streamside vegetation to improve habitat for birds and aquatic species.
California North Coast Wilderness
Grantee: California Wild Heritage Campaign
Year: 2006
The California Wild Heritage Campaign used two Conservation Alliance grants to help secure Wilderness protection for 275,000 acres of federal land on California’s North Coast. This effort protects the Lost Coast, the longest undeveloped stretch of coastline in the Lower 48. The campaign also won Wild and Scenic River status for 21 miles of the Black Butte River.
New England Wilderness
Grantees: Appalachian Mountain Club and ForestWatch
Year: 2006
In November 2006, Congress designated 76,000 acres of federal land in New England as Wilderness. Supporting the New England effort, The Conservation Alliance made grants to the Appalachian Mountain Club (NH) and Forest Watch (VT). Our grant to AMC helped the group identify lands in New Hampshire worthy of Wilderness designation, and secure recommendations from the Forest Service that those lands be protected. ForestWatch used our support to build support in Vermont for the Green Mountain protections.
Nevada Wilderness: White Pine County
Grantee: Nevada Wilderness Project
Year: 2006
The Nevada Wilderness Project used Conservation Alliance support to help secure Wilderness protection for 558,000 acres of federal land in White Pine County, Nevada. The White Pine effort adds Wilderness areas to the rugged eastern Nevada county, including an expansion of Wilderness lands in Great Basin National Park. Since 2000, NWP has led the effort to protect more than 2.5 million acres in Nevada.
Rocky Mountain Front
Grantee: Montana Wilderness Association
Year: 2006
With Support from The Conservation Alliance, Montana Wilderness Association built public support for legislation to permanently prohibit oil and gas development on the Rocky Mountain Front. The region is important habitat for grizzly bear, elk and bighorn sheep and offers world class hunting, fishing and camping opportunities. In December 2006, Congress passed legislation to close at least 350,000 acres of the Front to oil and gas drilling.
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Grantees: Alaska Wilderness League and Alaska Coalition
Year: 2005
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is threatened by members of Congress who would like to open this special wild area to oil development. In 2005, it appeared likely that Congress would approve oil drilling in the Refuge. We made two grants to Alaska Wilderness League and the Alaska Coalition to support their work to demonstrate grassroots opposition to drilling in the Arctic Refuge. With our support, and that of many other funders and individuals, these organizations led the effort to halt the drilling proposal.
Oregon Badlands
Grantee: Oregon Natural Desert Association
Year: 2005
Conservation Alliance funding helped the Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) secure protection for the Badlands Wilderness Study Area east of Bend, Oregon. ONDA used our support to participate in a BLM management planning process that resulted in a new plan for the Badlands that prohibits motorized vehicles from the 30,000-acre wildland. The plan also allows BLM to permanently retire permits to graze livestock in the Badlands. While working to influence the new management plan, ONDA negotiated a deal with a local rancher to purchase his Badlands grazing permit and pass it back to BLM to retire.
Nevada Wilderness: Lincoln County
Grantee: Nevada Wilderness Project
Year: 2004
The Nevada Wilderness Project used Conservation Alliance support to help secure Wilderness protection for 760,000 acres of federal land in Lincoln County, Nevada.
Bear River, Utah
Grantee: Utah Rivers Council
Year: 2003
Utah Rivers Council used two Conservation Alliance grants to support its campaign to protect the Bear River from three proposed dams. The Bear is an important tributary to the Great Salt Lake, and the dams would have significantly de-watered the lake and diminished its bird habitat. By engaging grassroots support, URC successfully led the effort to halt the proposed dams.
Penobscot River, Maine
Grantee: Atlantic Salmon Federation
Year: 2003
With Conservation Alliance support, the Atlantic Salmon Federation secured a deal t purchase and remove three dams on the Penobscot River in Maine.
Nevada Wilderness: Clark County
Grantee: Nevada Wilderness Project
Year: 2002
The Nevada Wilderness Project used Conservation Alliance support to help secure Wilderness protection for 400,000 acres of federal land in Clark County, Nevada. The lands surround the growing urban area of Las Vegas, and provide a much-needed open space and recreational area for the region.
Big Sur Wilderness
Grantee: Ventana Wilderness Alliance
Year: 2002
The Ventana Wilderness Alliance used Conservation Alliance support to secure Wilderness designations for 50,000 acres of public land on California’s spectacular Central Coast.
Castleton Tower
Grantee: Utah Open Lands
Year: 2002
The Conservation Alliance supported Utah Open Lands in their successful effort to protect the lands surrounding Castleton Tower in Southern Utah. This effort preserved access to one of North America’s classic climbing monuments.
Steens Mountain
Grantee: Oregon Natural Desert Association
Year: 2000
Oregon Natural Desert Assocation used Conservation Alliance funding in its successful effort to protect 175,000 acres of Wilderness on Eastern Oregon’s Steens Mountain. The effort also protected 29 miles of rivers as Wild and Scenic.
South Yuba River
Grantee: South Yuba River Citizens League
Year: 1999
Three grants to the South Yuba River Citizens League helped the group lead the effort to secure permanent protection for 39 miles of the South Yuba in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. The effort halted seven proposed dams on the river.
Dugout Ranch, Utah
Grantee: The Nature Conservancy of Utah
Year: 1997
We made a grant to The Nature Conservancy of Utah to purchase theDugout Ranch, a key parcel of land adjacent to Canyonlands National park and home to the some of the best rockclimbing in Indian Creek.
Yellowstone River Watershed
Grantee: Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Year: 1996
We supported Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s successful campaign to halt a proposed gold mine whose tailing would have polluted the Yellowstone River watershed in Yellowstone National Park.
Clavey River, California
Grantee: Tuolumne River Trust
Year: 1994
With Conservation Alliance support, the Tuolumne River Trust stopped a proposed dam on the Clavey River in California’s Sierra Nevada. The campaign preserved one of the state’s premier paddling runs.
Tatshenshini River Watershed
Grantee: BC Spaces for Nature
Year: 1993
BC Spaces for Nature used Conservation Alliance support to protect 2.4 million acres of wilderness surrounding the Tatshenshini River in British Columbia.
The Gunks
Grantee: The Access Fund
Year: 1992
The Access Fund used our support to purchase a key parcel of land in the Shawangunks, a premier rockclimbing area in upstate New York. The purchase prevented commercial development on and preserved access to this climbing destination.
North Fork Payette River
Grantee: Friends of the Payette (now Idaho Rivers United)
Year: 1991
Our support of Friends of the Payette helped the group halt a proposed dam on the North Fork Payette, a classic whitewater run.