Conservation Alliance news: 2005 grants announced, Fay to speak at meeting, and much more…

Spring 2005 grants announced
During the spring 2005 funding cycle, the Conservation Alliance members voted and granted $200,000 to seven organizations as follows:
 
>> Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center: $35,000
Wild Corridors Project: Create and implement a comprehensive program of conservation and restoration of wild core forest habitat areas and connectivity corridors in the Klamath-Siskiyou region of Southern Oregon and Northern California.
 
>> Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition: $32,000
Columbia and Snake Rivers Recovery Campaign: Restore endangered wild salmon populations throughout the Columbia River basin by removing four federal dams on the lower Snake River, and improving dam operations on the Columbia River.
 
>> Dogwood Alliance: $23,000
Protecting Southern Forests: Ensure that sustainable forestry certification programs establish strict guidelines for forest management throughout the Southeast.
 
>> Endangered Species Coalition: $30,000
Endangered Species Education and Organizing: Defend the Endangered Species Act from unprecedented efforts to weaken the landmark law.
 
>> Nevada Wilderness Project: $30,000
White Pine County Wilderness Campaign: Conduct inventories and grassroots organizing to develop and forward legislation to protect wilderness-quality public lands in White Pine County, Nev.

>> Northeast Wilderness Trust: $30,000
Split Rock Wildway Project: Protect a habitat and recreational linkage from the Adirondack Park lowlands in Vermont’s Champlain Valley to the Jay Range and High Peaks Wilderness areas in New York.
 
>> Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition: $20,000
Virginia Wilderness Campaign: Protect nearly 40,000 acres of public lands in southwest Virginia’s Jefferson National Forest by passing the Virginia Ridge and Valley Wilderness and National Scenic Area Act.

Michael Fay to speak at annual Alliance meeting at Summer Market
Mark your calendars for August 13, at 8 a.m. (yeah, we know it’s early, but it is worth it, trust us). Michael Fay, National Geographic conservationist-in-residence, will be the guest speaker at the Conservation Alliance Membership Meeting. Fay is an ecologist and adventurer famous for completing a “megatransect” of large swaths of equatorial Africa. His 2,000-mile walking expedition documented one of the last pristine places on Earth. With a team of Africans, Fay trekked for 15 months through the heart of Africa’s jungle documenting habitat for gorillas, chimpanzees and forest elephants. As a result of Fay’s efforts, the president of Gabon agreed to protect 10 percent of his country for a system of 13 national parks. Fay will recount his experiences in Africa, and discuss the important role that economics plays in protecting wild places worldwide. And no, you don’t have to be a Conservation Alliance member to attend.

The House and Senate narrowly approve budget that allows Arctic drilling
In late-night votes on April 28, the House and Senate narrowly passed a $14 trillion budget resolution that paves the way for opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. The House approved the plan by a vote of 214-211; the Senate vote was 52-47. Although this was a devastating loss to many in the outdoor industry, Congress still must pass reconciliation instructions that include specific revenues from Arctic drilling, so the fight is not yet over. To read more and to see how your senators and representatives voted, click here.

Who is the Conservation Alliance?
The Conservation Alliance is a non-profit organization made up of outdoor businesses whose collective annual membership dues support grassroots citizen-action groups and their efforts to protect wild and natural areas. One hundred percent of its member companies’ dues go directly to diverse, local community groups across the nation. Each Alliance member receives an equal voice in determining which conservation projects are funded. Membership in the Alliance is open to businesses involved in:

 * self-propelled or muscle-powered outdoor activities;
 * whose livelihood depends on conserving our outdoor environment;
 * all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, publishers, retailers, mills and dealers/sales representatives.

The Conservation Alliance is run by an all-volunteer board, and member companies donate time and money to administer the program. This structure allows the Alliance to direct 100 percent of membership fees toward results-getting conservation efforts.

Current members of the Conservation Alliance include: SNEWS LLC (SNEWS® and GearTrends®), 3point5, ADS Ventures, American Alpine Institute, ARTA River Trips, Backpacker Magazine, Backpacker’s Pantry, Belinda Sanda Sales, Bernzott Capital Advisors, Buffalo Peak Outfitters, Campmor, Cascade Designs, CGPR, Chaco Sandals, Columbia Sportswear, Dansko, Eagle Creek Travel Gear, Earth Games, Eastern Mountain Sports, Eureka! Johnson Outdoors, Fathom Expeditions, Fendler Communications, Flamand Sports, Frontier Group, Goldblum Lentz & Co., GoLite, Grabber Performance Group, Grand Union Trading Co., Gregory Mountain Products, Hi-Tec, Highgear USA, Hooked on the Outdoors, JanSport, Jimmy Chin Photography, Keen Footwear, Kelty Pack, Lotus Designs, Lowepro, Marty Grabijas, Mazer Advisors, Mercury Advertising, Merrell Footwear, Montrail, Mountain Hardwear, Inc. Mountain Lake Marketing, Mountainsmith, National Geographic Maps, Nike ACG, Osprey Packs, Paddler Magazine, Pale Morning Media, Patagonia, Pearl Izumi, Perception, prAna, REI, Riverside Design, RJ Guiney Associates, Shaman’s International, Sierra Designs, Silver Steep Partners, Sorensen’s Resort, Stanwood & Partners, Summit Coffee, Teijin Fibers Limited, Teva, The Eleven, The Forest Group, The North Face, Timberland, The Whiting Group, Thor-Lo, Thule, Treasure Mountain Inn, W.L. Gore & Associates, WrightSock, and Zephyr Adventures.

For more information on the Conservation Alliance, click here: www.conservationalliance.com.
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