Conservation Alliance Ad Auction Raises $116,000

Bend, Ore., May 18, 2009 – The Conservation Alliance’s third annual Ads for the Earth Auction, an online sale of advertising space, raised $116,000. The auction consisted 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.

“We raised $116,000 in a very tough economy,” said John Sterling, Conservation Alliance Executive Director. “As a result, we will be able to support at least three additional projects over the next year.” Winning bidders were Confluence, The North Face, Wolverine, Black Diamond Equipment, KEEN, Osprey, and Petzl.

The Ads for the Earth Auction has now raised a total of $410,000 for The Conservation Alliance, making it an important revenue stream for the organization’s grant fund.

The fourth annual ad auction will be held May 3-7, 2010.

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.

Contact:
John Sterling Kristin Carpenter-Ogden
541-389-2424 970-259-3555
john@conservationalliance.com kco@verdepr.com