Conservation Alliance Ad Auction Begins

Bend, Ore., May 1, 2009 – The Conservation Alliance’s third annual Ads for the Earth Auction, an online sale of advertising space, kicked off today, and runs through Friday, May 8. The auction consists of ad space donated by Alpinist, Backcountry, Backpacker, Men’s Journal, National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Paddler, Sierra, Telemark Skier, and Wend magazines.

All proceeds from the auction will go into The Conservation Alliance’s grant fund to support efforts to protect wild places throughout North America. Each publication has donated one full-page, four-color ad. Winning bidders may use the ad space anytime within 12 months after the close of the auction (May 2009-May 2010)

“We hope to raise $200,000, which will allow us to fund at least six additional projects in 2009,” said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance Executive Director. “And because bidding starts at 30 percent of full net value for each ad, our bidders may walk away with some good deals on ad space.”

Over the past two years, the Ads for the Earth Auction has raised a total of $300,000 for The Conservation Alliance, making it an important revenue stream for the organization’s grant fund.

Bidding for each ad will began on Monday, May 4, and ends on Friday, May 8. The auction is hosted by online auctioneer ReadySetAuction.com. http://auctions.readysetauction.com/conservationalliance/home.

The Conservation Alliance acknowledges the following people and publications for donating ad space and for helping plan the auction:

Fran Farrell, Men’s Journal

Scott Parmelee, Outside

Peter Fisher, National Geographic Adventure

Charina Lumley, Backpacker

Kristi Rummel, Sierra

Rob BonDurant, Patagonia

Bobbie Parisi, KEEN, Inc.

Natalie Hayes, Columbia Sportswear

Greg Williams, Backbone Media

Melissa Reynolds, The North Face

About the Conservation Alliance:

The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas.

Membership in the Alliance is open to companies representing all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, publishers, mills and sales representatives. The result is a diverse group of businesses whose livelihood depends on protecting our natural environment.

Since its inception in 1989, the Alliance has contributed more than $7.4 million to grassroots environmental groups. Alliance funding has helped save over 40 million acres of wildlands; 26 dams have either been stopped or removed; and the group helped preserve access to more than 17,000 miles of waterways and several climbing areas.

For complete information on the Conservation Alliance, see www.conservationalliance.com.