The Conservation Alliance awarded funding to Indigenous-led conservation projects in British Columbia, Minnesota and Utah while disbursing the organization’s first-ever multi-year grants to groups working to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
The Alliance’s total grantmaking in 2021 has reached $1,118,000 – a new record for the winter grant cycle.
The Conservation Alliance is a group of more than 250 like-minded businesses that contribute annual membership dues into a central grant fund. In each grant cycle, member companies are invited to nominate Indigenous groups, organizations with a history of collaborating with diverse partners, and grassroots groups working to protect wild places to apply for funding.
After an extensive review process, The Conservation Alliance awarded 26 grants. Seven organizations received Conservation Alliance funding for the first time. New grantees include:
- Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition for its effort to complete the Tribally led Land Management Plan for 1.9 million acres located in Southeastern Utah
- Outdoor Afro for its effort to secure protections for California’s public lands
- Honor the Earth for its effort to protect wild rice manoomin watersheds in the Great Lakes region by halting pipelines
- Open Space Institute for its effort to address systemic lack of public access by acquiring 930 acres and designating the Black River State Park and Water Trail in South Carolina
- The Continental Divide Trail Coalition for its work to close the final funding gap that secures permanent public access to the entire Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) through state lands in New Mexico
- Yellowstone-to-Yukon received funding for its effort to permanently protect 1.2 million acres through an Indigenous-led conservation initiative in British Columbia’s Upper Columbia region
- Alaska Wilderness League (AWL) for its efforts to protect and defend the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness for its effort to protect the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Each group will receive $75,000 in funding in 2021 and in 2022. Both campaigns were identified by the organization as top priorities during the 117th Congress.
For a complete overview of each grant, visit conservationalliance.com/seasons.
