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WINTER 2020 GRANT PROPOSALS

Following are two-page summaries for each proposal on The Conservation Alliance Winter 2020 Ballot. Please review the grant proposals and project slideshow, and complete your online ballot by Friday, March 13, 2020. If you would like to learn more about the projects on the ballot, please join us for our Winter 2020 Ballot Education Webinar, Wednesday, February 26 at 11:00 AM PST. Click Here to Register

Thank you for your help in making the grant decisions for this round of Conservation Alliance funding. If you have any questions, please contact Josie Norris at 541-389-2424.

Below are the organizations included on the Winter 2020 ballot:

1. Adirondack Council - Campaign for the Follensby Pond Preserve 2. Alaska Wilderness League - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Campaign 3. American Rivers - Protecting Western Montana's Last Best Wild Rivers 4. American Whitewater - Wild Olympics Campaign 5. Backcountry Hunters and Anglers - Advancing Collaborative Conservation Solutions for Montana's Blackfoot Clearwater Valleys 6. California Wilderness Coalition - Northwest California Mountains and Rivers, Central Cost Wild Heritage 7. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - British Columbia - Establishing the Dene K'eh Kusan Provincial Conservancy in Northern BC 8. Columbia Land Trust - Mount Hood Oaks Acquisition 9. Dolores River Boating Advocates - Delores River Canyon National Conservation Area Campaign Education and Outreach 10. Downeast Lakes Land Trust - Lakeville Forest Project 11. Habitat Acquisition Trust - Sc'ianew Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area: A Reconciliation Based Path to Conservation 12. Northeastern Minnesotan's for Wilderness - Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters 13. Ohio Environmental Council - Black Diamond Backcountry Campaign 14. Oregon Wild - Protecting Wild and Scenic Rivers and Public Lands in Oregon 15. Outdoor Alliance - Protecting North Carolina's Mountain Treasures 16. The Association of West Kootenay Rock Climbers - Save the Waterline Walls 17. The Wilderness Society - The Gunnison Public Lands Initiative 18. Trout Unlimited – Alaska - Save Bristol Bay 19. Trust for Public Land- Lincoln Peak Conservation Project 20. Ventura Land Trust - Mariano Rancho Acquisition Project 21. Virginia Wilderness Committee - George Washington National Forest Campaign 22. Western Mass Climbers Coalition - The Hanging Mountain Project 23. Western Rivers Conservancy - Nason Ridge Project 24. Wildlife Conservation Society - Advance a Co-Produced Vision for Indigenous-Led Conservation: Laying the Foundation for Enduring and Equitable Conservation Impact 25. Wyoming Outdoor Council - Permanent Protection for Wyoming's Wild Northern Red Desert

CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 27, 2019 Name of Organization: Adirondack Council Address: P.O. Box D-2; 103 Hand Avenue, #3, Elizabethtown, NY 12932 (Main office) 342 Hamilton Street, Albany, NY 12210 (Communications and Legislative office) Phone: 518-873-2240 (Elizabethtown); 518-432-1770 (Albany) Contact Person: Diane Fish, Deputy Director (Main office) Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.AdirondackCouncil.org Project / Campaign Name: Campaign for the Follensby Pond Preserve Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 44.176564,-74.372654 Staff Size: 15 Total Membership: 6,500 households, 86,000 social followers and fans, 27,700 email list. Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $2.3 million Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $40,000 Tax Status: 501 (c) 3

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: The mission of the Adirondack Council is to ensure the ecological integrity (clean water and air, extensive habitat, etc.) and wild character (solitude, scenic beauty, etc.) of New York’s six-million-acre Adirondack Park. The Adirondack Park is a patchwork of public and private lands, creating unique challenges and opportunities to create effective models for large- landscape conservation. We envision the Park with large core wilderness areas, clean water and air, surrounded by working farms and forests, and augmented by vibrant communities.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): The Nature Conservancy, State of New York and a third-party science organization will permanently protect 14,600 acres in the Adirondack Park, creating a fresh water preserve to protect and study rare heritage lake trout and climate change, opening the 1,000-acre Follensby Pond to motor-free paddling via the Raquette River, and adding 10,000 acres to the public Forest Preserve including the 10.5-mile Raquette River property boundary between the Follensby tract and the High Peaks Wilderness.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has indicated the intention to move forward with a long-awaited conservation plan to permanently protect the 14,600-acre Follensby Pond property in the Adirondacks. The Nature Conservancy purchased the property in 2008 with the intention of selling it to the State of New York. The Conservancy cannot afford to protect the Follensby tract without some funding from New York State. The Adirondack chapter of the Nature Conservancy had to borrow $16 million from its larger parent organization to buy the property with the understanding that the bulk of the loan would be re-paid when the property was sold to the state.

The property is listed in New York’s Open Space Plan as a priority for state acquisition. However, the Adirondack Council and the Nature Conservancy are concerned about the state not having the science and capacity to successfully protect the rare fishery from political pressure to allow overuse and unsustainable fishing.

There is interest among stakeholders in developing a creative conservation strategy under various ownerships that protects the heritage lake trout fishery, provides access for wilderness paddling and other human-powered recreation, uses some of the property for climate change study, and builds local goodwill and financial support for TNC by allowing some private hunt club leases on the property to continue.

Follensby Pond tract. The 14,600-acre property of mixed northern hardwood forests borders the state’s newly expanded 275,000-acre High Peaks Wilderness. It is bounded by “Forever Wild” state land to the east, north and south. In addition to the 1,000-acre Follensby Pond, the property includes more than 10 miles of meandering frontage on the Raquette River, one of New York’s longest rivers.

Follensby Pond, considered the largest privately owned lake in the northeastern United States, was the location of the Philosopher’s Camp where Ralph Waldo Emerson and other 19th century scholars helped birth the Transcendentalist movement and transform modern America’s relationship with nature. In the 1980s, following the ban on DDT, Follensby Pond was chosen as the only site to host the successful reintroduction of bald eagles in the Adirondack Park. The property is in the towns of Tupper Lake and Harrietstown which have extensive accessible water resources, an enthusiastic paddling community, and a well-established and respected paddling outfitter.

Campaign for Follensby Pond. The Council will conduct a multi-phased advocacy effort to secure a science-based conservation strategy for the Follensby Pond tract that includes 1) state acquisition of 10,000 acres for the public Forest Preserve and expanded Wilderness, 2) access via canoe from the Raquette River to 1,000-acre Follensby Pond, 3) a New York State conservation easement on 4,600 +/- acres of land remaining in TNC ownership, 4) some hunt club leases, and 5) some private conservation ownership by a third-party science organization for the purpose of scientific study and preservation.

The Adirondack Council will use Conservation Alliance funding to strengthen our advocacy impact by 1) hiring scientists to document and analyze scientific data across the larger landscape, 2) contracting with mapping experts to define and communicate the ownership and management proposals, 3) creating print and video materials to explain the project to the media and the public, and 4) expanding public outreach through traditional and online platforms to build support for the conservation strategy and complementary recreational access.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year? 1) Complete scientific mapping and data collection that guides and supports the public value and conservation efficacy of the multi-tiered conservation strategy. 2) Create a package of advocacy maps, graphs, and photographs to communicate the opportunities for conservation, recreation, science, education and historical interpretation. 3) Provide The Nature Conservancy and the State of New York with input from interest stakeholders including citizen advocates and fellow conservation organizations.

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CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO‐PAGE SUMMARY

Date: December 1, 2019

Name of Organization: Alaska Wilderness League Address: 122 C Street NW, Suite 240 – Washington DC 20001 Phone: 202‐544‐5205 Contact Person: Kristen Miller Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.alaskawild.org Project / Campaign Name: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): Washington DC Staff Size: 16 Total Membership: 100,000 Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $3,967,000 Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 Tax Status: 501c3

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement:

Alaska Wilderness League galvanizes support to secure vital policies that protect and defend America’s last great wild public lands and waters.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds):

Success would be to delay and stymie the administration’s efforts to advance seismic testing, leasing, and eventual drilling on the Arctic Refuge coastal plain, while we also set the stage to restore protections for the 1.6 million acres of rolling tundra, braided rivers, and coastline.

Please provide a short (2‐3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

The Alaska congressional delegation and the Trump administration won a temporary battle to advance oil and gas leasing on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as part of the 2017 tax bill, but we, with our partners, are committed to undoing that 2017 action. In September, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would restore protections for the Arctic Refuge by a vote of 225-193. That same week, the Senate introduced Wilderness legislation would effectively stop Arctic Refuge drilling, and today 26 co-sponsors, including Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Chuck Schumer, have signed on in support. Our medium-term goal is to restore Arctic Refuge protections in statute, back to what existed in 2017. To get there, we are focused on growing additional support for both bills in the House and Senate, so that the next President – whether they take office in 2021 or 2025 – can quickly sign legislation passed by both the House and Senate into law.

Until that transition occurs, we must delay and otherwise stymie development, and prepare for eventual Congressional action. Our focus in the year ahead includes cultivating additional

support from decision-makers to protect the Arctic Refuge, not only by growing support of Arctic Refuge protection bills, but by supporting members of Congress as they pursue oversight hearings, funding limitations, or other processes that can slow down Arctic Refuge leasing. We must also continue to build the administrative record and make this a ‘hot button issue’ by inspiring grassroots support, so that the next President can see just how unpopular Arctic Refuge drilling is among Americans, and take action to correct it. The administrative record is also the foundation for litigation, which we’ll bring when the time is right, forcing the Trump administration to defend the shaky Environmental Impact Statement that they’ve used to prepare a leasing program.

Finally, at the core of all our strategies is elevating a diversity of voices for the Arctic Refuge. To this end, funding from Conservation Alliance would be utilized to make sure our grassroots and partnership program are strong in the year ahead. With 100,000 grassroots members - including 6,000 in Alaska – we work to mobilize voices from all fifty states when the timing is right to influence a decision, whether it is through online actions, submitting an LTE, or by requesting an in-district meeting with a lawmaker. Similarly, our partnership program focuses on building relationships with businesses, groups, or grass-tops individuals which share our values and vision for the Arctic Refuge. For more than two decades, we’ve worked closely with the Gwich’in Steering Committee, to make sure that the Alaska Native voice is heard loud and clear in Washington DC. Similarly, throughout the years our staff has been forging partnerships with faith, veteran, and outdoor industry partners by helping each to understand when and how to plug in their capacity to the overarching effort. Whether it’s merely providing an update on the latest in Alaska or DC or helping to support a constituency fly-in to DC, we provide needed knowledge, skills, or capacity so that these voices can be heard by decisionmakers in DC.

What are 3-5 measurable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

1. Any Arctic Refuge lease sales are delayed and/or stopped by the courts. The Trump administration’s effort to expedite the development of an Arctic Refuge lease program has led to a significantly flawed, illegal planning process. When the drilling plan is finalized, we’ll review their final action and ask the courts to intervene, so that the Trump Administration is forced to follow US laws.

2. No seismic program takes place during the winter of 2019 – 2020. This will mean that no industrial activity is likely to occur on the Coastal Plain – including seismic exploration – through the end of Trump’s first term, setting us up well for 2021 and beyond.

3. Arctic Refuge focused legislative efforts are elevated in Congress. We will get 40 co- sponsors on the Senate Arctic Refuge Wilderness bill and work with champions to introduce other bills or amendments aimed at complicating any effort to develop the Refuge. While these proposals are unlikely to pass in the year ahead, reaching these elevation goals will place us in a good position for a vote that we hope can take place in 2021. At the same time, Arctic Refuge will be part of climate change and other oversight efforts in the House. These indicators - along with elevating the Arctic Refuge in the national environmental debate and securing additional support in the House – will place us in good stead to pass legislation for the next president to sign.

CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO‐PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 26, 2019 Name of Organization: American Rivers Address: 321 East Main Street, Suite 408, Bozeman, MT 59715 Phone: (406) 570‐0455 Contact Person: Scott Bosse Contact E‐mail Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.americanrivers.org Project/Campaign Name: Protecting Western Montana’s Last Best Wild Rivers Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 45.6770° N, 111.0429° W Staff Size: Entire Organization: 72; Northern Rockies Office: 4 Total Membership: 27,741 Annual Operating Budget: $14,177,109 Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: American Rivers was founded in 1973 by a passionate group of volunteers who banded together to protect the nation’s last remaining free‐flowing rivers from being dammed. Our mission is to protect wild rivers, restore damaged rivers and conserve clean water for people and nature. To date, we have conserved more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, Wild and Scenic designations, dam removals, and other on‐the‐ground projects.

Our Northern Rockies office has achieved the following victories since it opened in 2009:  More than doubled the number of Wild and Scenic eligible rivers and river miles given long‐term administrative protections on Montana’s Flathead National Forest in 2019;  Secured Wild and Scenic status for 20 miles of East Rosebud Creek in 2018, making it Montana’s first new Wild and Scenic river since 1976;  Stopped two proposed dams on Wyoming’s Upper Green River in 2015;  Protected the transboundary North Fork Flathead River watershed in Montana and British Columbia from future mining and energy development in 2014;  Protected Wyoming’s Hoback River from proposed gas drilling in its headwaters in 2013;  Secured Wild and Scenic status for 13 rivers and 415 river miles in Wyoming’s Snake River headwaters in 2009.

One Sentence on what final success looks like: We will achieve final success when the U.S. Forest Service grants long‐term administrative protections to at least 76 rivers, 655 river miles and 209,600 acres of riverside lands on two national forests in western Montana that currently are undergoing forest plan revision; and Congress passes federal legislation that adds 38 rivers, 666 river miles and 213,120 acres of riverside lands in western Montana to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Provide a short (2‐3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. Since 2010, American Rivers has been leading a coalition effort to win protection for hundreds of miles of the most ecologically and recreationally valuable rivers in western Montana. Working with our Montanans for Healthy Rivers (MHR) partners, we have already secured long‐ term administrative protections for 110 rivers, 1,063 river miles and 340,160 acres of riverside lands in four national forests in western Montana; and last year won permanent protection for 20 miles of East Rosebud Creek on the Custer Gallatin National Forest, marking Montana’s first new Wild and Scenic River designation since 1976.

Our current campaign goal is to secure long‐term administrative protections for 76 rivers, 655 river miles and 209,600 acres of riverside lands on the Custer Gallatin and Helena – Lewis and Clark national forests; and ultimately win permanent protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act for 38 rivers, 666 river miles and 213,120 acres of riverside lands in western Montana. During the last nine years we have laid the groundwork for new Wild and Scenic river designations in western Montana by conducting 300+ stakeholder meetings, securing formal endorsements from 3,000+ Montana citizens, 1,300+ Montana businesses, and multiple tribal and local government entities. As a result of our efforts, U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D‐MT) plans to introduce a Wild and Scenic rivers bill in December 2019 that will protect 17 rivers, 342 river miles and 109,568 acres of riverside lands focused in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

American Rivers respectfully requests a $50,000 grant from The Conservation Alliance to continue our coalition efforts to secure long‐term administrative protections for Wild and Scenic eligible rivers on two national forests in western Montana that are in their final stage of forest plan revision; move a soon‐to‐be‐introduced Wild and Scenic rivers bill that would protect 17 rivers and 342 river miles focused in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; and expand public and political support for a subsequent Wild and Scenic rivers bill that would protect 21 rivers and 324 river miles focused in the Crown of the Continent in northwest Montana. To accomplish these goals, we will utilize earned, paid and social media, action alerts, organize business sign‐on letters, host public outreach events, commission public opinion polling, and bring citizens to Washington, D.C. to educate* decision makers.

What are 3‐5 measurable on‐the‐ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?  The U.S. Forest Service signs records of decision that grant long‐term administrative protections to at least 76 rivers, 655 river miles and 209,600 acres of riverside lands on the Custer Gallatin and Helena – Lewis and Clark national forests;  The Montana Headwaters Security Act, which would add 17 rivers and 342 river miles focused in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, is introduced in Congress and receives hearings in the Senate and House; and  Local governments in Flathead, Lake and Missoula counties endorse new Wild and Scenic river designations for 21 rivers and 324 river miles focused in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.

*American Rivers will not use Conservation Alliance funding for lobbying and related expenses. CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY American Whitewater Wild Olympics and Wild Rivers Campaign

Date: December 1, 2019 Name of Organization: American Whitewater Address: National: P.O. Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC 28723 Pacific Northwest: 3537 NE 87th St, Seattle, WA 98115 Phone: National: 828-586-1930; Pacific Northwest: 425-417-9012 Contact Person: Thomas O’Keefe Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.americanwhitewater.org Staff Size: 12 FTE Total Membership: 6,000 Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $1,604,812 Amount Requested from Alliance: $50,000 Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: Founded in 1954, American Whitewater is a national non-profit organization (non-profit # 23-7083760) with a mission “to conserve and restore America's whitewater rivers and to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely.” American Whitewater is a membership organization that represents a broad diversity of individual whitewater enthusiasts, river conservationists, and more than 100 local paddling club affiliates across America.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): Final success is a legislative public lands and waters conservation package benefitting outdoor recreation that includes 464 river miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers and 126,000 acres of new Wilderness Areas that protect key watersheds on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

Our goal this session of Congress is to assemble a package of legislation that includes bills with beneficial conservation outcomes that support the outdoor recreation experience on public lands and waters. We intend to bring the Wild Olympics campaign in Washington State to successful completion along with other bills that protect wild rivers and wild places. Earlier this year, the Dingell Act was signed into law; this legislation established 1,300,000 acres of wilderness, designated 621 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers, expanded units of the National Park system, made the Land and Water Conservation Fund permanent, and protected Yellowstone and North Cascades from new mining activity. As leaders in this effort, we believe additional opportunity exists to protect wild rivers and wild places that are important to the outdoor recreation community. When we were invited to testify before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee earlier this year, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress expressed deep understanding of the outdoor recreation economy and value of stewardship of public lands. While this view was not shared by every Member of the Committee, it was clear that the success of the Dingell Act was generally viewed in a positive light and the opportunity exists to build on this success.

We have laid successful groundwork over the past several years for Wild Olympics and now have Senator Murray and Representative Kilmer actively engaged with the appropriate committees to move the bills through both the Senate and House. Conservation Alliance funding will support our grassroots engagement organizing in the Pacific Northwest and across the nation. Conservation Alliance funding will also support our efforts to work with other leaders on the relevant committees (e.g. Representative Huffman on House Natural Resources and Senator Wyden on Senate Energy and Natural Resources) who have their own bills to expand the Wild and Scenic Rivers system and protect public lands. It has become apparent that our legislative success depends on a coordinated effort with other campaigns that are poised to form the basis of a conservation and recreation package at the end of this Congress. We serve in a leadership capacity to make this happen.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year? As part of these campaigns to protect West Coast Rivers we will focus on the following outcomes:

• Through our work on Wild Olympics, Representative Kilmer and Senator Murray are further empowered to serve as champions for outdoor recreation and conservation as we establish a clear connection between land and river conservation and the economic benefits for local communities and the region. • We designate over 464 miles of Wild and Scenic Rivers and 126,000 acres of Wilderness through passage of the Wild Olympic Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and other public lands and waters Bills currently in the queue. • Wild Olympics is part of a public law with broad conservation and recreation benefits for the outdoor recreation community that could include some combination of the following bills: Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act; Central Coast Heritage Protection Act; San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act; Oregon Recreation Enhancement Act; Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act; Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act; Recreation Not Red Tape Act; and SOAR Act. We also anticipate legislation for additional Wild and Scenic Rivers in Montana and Oregon.

PO BOX 9257 MISSOULA, MT 59807 406- 926- 1908

Conservation Alliance Summary

Date: November 22, 2019 Name of Organization: Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Address: Physical: Mailing: 725 West Alder St, Suite 11 PO Box 9257 Missoula MT 59802 Missoula MT 59807 Phone: (406) 926-1908 Contact Person: John Gale, Conservation Director Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: http://www.backcountryhunters.org/ Project/Campaign Name: Advancing Collaborative Conservation Solutions for Montana’s Blackfoot and Clearwater Valleys Project Location: 47°23'07.8"N 113°33'37.9"W Staff Size: 28 Full-time (Plus 2 Part-time, 3 Temporary, 3 Paid Interns) Total Membership: 40,000 Annual Operating Budget: $4,310,000 Amount Requested: $50,000 Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of our wild public lands, waters, and wildlife.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): With the support of hunters, anglers, timber companies, snowmobilers, mountain bikers and 73 percent of Montanans, nearly 80,000 acres of treasured public lands will be added to the Crown of the Continent ecosystem as designated wilderness, permanently protecting our clean waters, outdoor traditions and pristine fish and wildlife habitat for current and future generations.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. We live in polarizing times with social and political forces driving fringe interests that often compromise collaboration and feed decision-maker gridlock that hampers progress. Fortunately, we still have elected leaders that are able to break through ideological paralysis

WWW.BACKCOUNTRYHUNTERS.ORG 725 W ALDER SUITE 11 [email protected] MISSOULA, MT 59802

PO BOX 9257 MISSOULA, MT 59807 406- 926- 1908

and develop legislative proposals backed by advocates on both sides of the aisle. With 3 out of 4 Montanans backing the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act and support from timber companies, motorized and non-motorized users, mountain bikers, hunters, anglers and other wildlife and wilderness advocates, it’s heartening to see bridges across the usual divides but difficult to comprehend why it’s taken thirteen years to get thoughtful natural resource management policy over the finish line.

It’s clear we need to do more to educate all stakeholders and inspire them to engage and take action to achieve our conservation vision. BHA is committed to using our unique constituency and influential presence in Montana and Washington, D.C. to advance permanent management solutions for wild lands and waters in the Crown of the Continent ecosystem. Our innovative approach to advocacy and diverse membership of passionate leaders make BHA an increasingly formidable conservation force equipped to lead complex conservation campaigns. From our boots on the ground chapter leaders to our influential presence in the halls of Congress, BHA is carving paths for collaboration and conservation success.

Headquartered in Missoula, MT, just a few miles from the confluence of the Blackfoot and Clark Fork Rivers, we work and play across these lands and waters. Nearly 10% of our North American membership resides in the Big Sky State. We are represented by leaders in every corner of the state and have impressive partnerships with corporations ranging from hunting companies like Sitka Gear to breweries like Highlander, who just launched a BHA-branded Public Land Owner Pale Ale to bring awareness to the importance of our wild public lands, waters and wildlife. A percentage of proceeds from the sale of this beer will help BHA leverage funding to advance conservation policies for wild places like Blackfoot River watershed.

In partnership with the Conservation Alliance, BHA will educate, inspire and activate Montanans from all walks of life to advance thoughtful natural resource management policies that permanently protect the wild lands and waters of the Blackfoot and Clearwater Valleys.

What are 3-5 measurable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year? § 80,000 acres of pristine public lands and waters will be added to the Crown of the Continent ecosystem as designated wilderness and permanently protected intact wildlands. § More than 100 local stakeholders, business owners, members of the media and decision- makers (including MT’s congressional delegation) will have been educated through special events. § Over 10,000 individual hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationists will have been engaged in advocacy efforts for the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project. § Press and media outlets will have published OpEds and LTEs from BHA to elevate awareness and influence decision-makers.

WWW.BACKCOUNTRYHUNTERS.ORG 725 W ALDER SUITE 11 [email protected] MISSOULA, MT 59802

CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: 11/27/19 Name of Organization: California Wilderness Coalition (CalWild) Address: 520 Third St, Suite 208, Oakland, CA 94607 (please note new address) Phone: 510-451-1450 Contact Person: Dup Crosson, Development & Communications Associate Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.calwild.org Project / Campaign Name: Northwest California Mountains and Rivers, Central Coast Wild Heritage Project Location: • Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity counties (Northwest California) • San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties (Central California Coast) Staff Size: 4 FTE staff or consultants, and 2 part time contractors Total Membership: 559 dues-paying members Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $579,200 Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 Tax Status: Exempt – 501(c)3 Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: The California Wilderness Coalition (CalWild) protects and restores the state’s wildest natural landscapes and watersheds on public lands. These important wild places provide clean air and water, refuges for wildlife, and outstanding opportunities for recreation and spiritual renewal for people. CalWild is the only statewide organization dedicated solely to protecting and restoring the wild places and native biodiversity of California’s public lands.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): Passage of both bills to establish a new recreation trail (Condor); perpetual protection of 506,595 acres of new wilderness, 639 miles of wild and scenic rivers, and 54 climbing areas; restoration of over 729,000 acres of public lands damaged by clearcutting and other development; designation of 34,882 acres in two new scenic areas; and a success story for “big tent” organizing campaigns to include vastly diverse, bipartisan stakeholders.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. Alongside Senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein, Representative Jared Huffman re-introduced the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act (HR 2250) in April 2019. The NCWRWFA will designate 262,119 acres of wilderness and 480 miles of wild and scenic rivers. Another bill highlight is the 729,000-acre South Fork Trinity-Mad River Special Restoration Area where previously logged forests would be restored to a more mature, ecological sound, and fire resilient condition.

The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act (CCHPA) (HR 2199), jointly reintroduced by Rep. Salud Carbajal and Sens. Harris and Feinstein in April 2019, will permanently protect 244,476 acres of federal land as wilderness, establish two scenic areas totaling 34,882 acres, and protect 159 miles of wild and scenic rivers. We have a supporter list of over 500 stakeholders for the effort, including chambers of commerce, businesses, community groups of varying political stances, and individuals.

Both bills were marked up out of the House Natural Resources Committee on November 20, 2019 and are awaiting a full House vote for the first time. Conservation Alliance funds will go towards staff salaries, program contractor compensation, and campaign expenses like travel and maps.

What are 3-5 measurable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

• Continued support for both bills from a wide spectrum of community, industry, tribal, environmental, and political stakeholders and interests • Including historically marginalized communities in the organizing for both bills, especially Native American tribes • Elevating both bills to votes in the House and Senate • Passage of both bills in the 116th Congress

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Conservation Alliance REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date December 2, 2019 Name of Organization Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society, BC Chapter (CPAWS-BC) Address 410-698 Seymour Street, Vancouver BC, V6B 3K6 Phone (604) 685-7445 Contact Person Jessie Corey, Terrestrial Conservation Manager Contact Email Address [email protected] Website Address www.cpawsbc.org Project / Campaign Name Establishing the Dene K’eh Kusan Provincial Conservancy in Northern BC Project Location Northern Interior BC – North of Fort Ware (57°25'14.9"N 125°37'35.1"W) to BC/Yukon border Staff Size 12 Total Membership 2,750 donors; 21,000 supporters Annual Operating Budget $1,498,200 Amount Requested from Alliance $50,000 Tax Status Registered Canadian Charity (#10686 5272 RR0001)

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is Canada’s grassroots voice for wilderness. CPAWS works collaboratively with governments, local communities, industry, and Indigenous peoples to protect Canada’s amazing natural places. Since 1963, CPAWS has led the creation of over two-thirds of Canada’s protected areas, totaling nearly 200,000 square miles. Our achievements include protecting places such as Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and National Marine Conservation Area, Bowie Seamount, the 34 Rocky Mountain Parks, the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, banning industrial development in the Flathead River Watershed, and ensuring that the National Parks Act prioritizes ecological integrity in Canada’s entire national parks system. For more information, please visit: www.cpawsbc.org.

What final success looks like

The ultimate goal of this work is the establishment of a new 4 million hectare provincial protected area in Kaska Dena ancestral territory, called Dene Kʼéh Kusān, by 2022.

Project goals and use of Conservation Alliance funding

For over two decades, CPAWS-BC has collaborated with the Kaska Dena on the establishment of new protected areas in northern BC. This long-standing partnership on land and wildlife conservation initiatives continues to grow and evolve, and since 2017 we have been working with the Kaska on a significant new protected area initiative in the heart of their ancestral territory, in a place the Kaska call Dene K’eh Kusan, which means ‘Always Will Be There’.

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This new protected area captures the largest remaining roadless wilderness region in the entire province of BC, is home to the highest diversity of ungulates and large carnivores on the continent, and is an extremely important continental-scale building block for wildlife connectivity. This region has many nationally and provincially significant and unique recreation features, providing some of the most diverse recreation opportunities in the northern reaches of the province. The new protected area will protect important physical and biological features of the landscape that sustain a wide diversity of recreational opportunities, including wild rivers, alpine ecosystems, canyons, pristine freshwater lakes, fish and wildlife populations, and cultural and historic features and landscapes.

Funding from the Conservation Alliance in 2018/2019 provided invaluable support to CPAWS-BC to advance key components of the campaign. The proposal grew from 1 million to over 4.5 million hectares of lands for protection in Kaska territory. It has received formal support from the Canadian federal government, as well as formal support from First Nations band councils in each of the three Kaska communities in BC (Daylu, Dease River, and Kwadacha). The federal government selected the Kaska proposal as one of only a handful of funded projects in the province of BC to support with federal funding, and holds the proposal up as an example of one of the most promising and meaningful steps towards Canada’s international biodiversity targets.

The next steps in this campaign are to secure provincial government support for the proposal, and engage stakeholders in negotiations as establishment discussions proceed with government. CPAWS- BC’s primary focus in the coming year will be to create opportunities for the public to engage in supporting this campaign, and turning this support into on-the-ground protection for this incredible place. Other work in 2020 will focus on supporting stakeholder engagement, connecting with decision- makers, and ongoing engagement with Kaska communities, elders, and youth.

The funding we are seeking from the Conservation Alliance will be used to support critical next steps in the protected area establishment process. Specifically, this funding will support:

● Province-wide grassroots public engagement campaign to build and mobilize support for Indigenous-led conservation initiatives in BC including Dene K’eh Kusan, providing additional leverage and support in discussions with federal and provincial governments ● Engagement with regional stakeholders to address potential concerns from user groups and industry active in the broader region ● Kaska community gatherings and consultations to gather knowledge and input on the proposed protected area

2020 Outcomes

● Provincial ministerial mandates to support Indigenous-led conservation initiatives in BC ● Formal engagement process with provincial government and core planning team launched ● Support secured from major regional stakeholders, with a focus on mining and forestry sectors ● Positive media coverage in provincial outlets supporting the Kaska’s vision for land protection

2 CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 21, 2019 Name of Organization: Columbia Land Trust Address: 850 Officers Row, Vancouver, WA 98661 Phone: 360-696-0131 Contact Person: Keely McIntyre Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.columbialandtrust.org Project / Campaign Name: Mt. Hood Oaks Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 45.363324, -121.339625 Staff Size: 34 Total Membership: 3,271 Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $5,315,919 Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 Tax Status: 501(c)3

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement:

Columbia Land Trust is dedicated to conserving and caring for the vital lands, waters, and wildlife of the Columbia River region, through sound science and strong relationships. Since our inception in 1990, we have grown from an all-volunteer nonprofit to one of the largest and most respected land trusts in the Pacific Northwest. Over the last three decades, we have conserved nearly 44,000 acres of land in Oregon and Washington, in a focus area that stretches from east of the Cascades, along 250 miles of the Columbia River, to the Pacific Ocean. Our team, recognized nationally as leaders in adaptive land management, stewards over 23,000 acres throughout the region.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds):

Mt. Hood Oaks’ 1,945 acres of rare, high quality oak and pine woodlands, 3 miles of perennial and seasonal streams, and riparian zones are permanently protected from conversion to rural- residential development, ensuring critical wildlife habitat in a changing climate and public and tribal access in perpetuity.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

The overarching goal of the Mt. Hood Oaks conservation project is to preserve, through fee acquisition, critical oak habitat in Oregon’s East Cascades from the high threat of development. The proposed project is central to strategies articulated for this ecoregion in Columbia Land Trust’s 25-year Conservation Agenda and supports conservation priorities for the state of Oregon and the American Bird Conservancy. This property has been identified by The Nature Conservancy as highly likely to provide resilience for wildlife in the face of a warming climate, and its adjacency on three sides to existing public lands will enable coordinated land management across a vast, open landscape.

Situated between the great conifer forests of the Cascade Mountains and the open grasslands of the Columbia Plateau, and at the boundary of two regionally important watersheds, the Mt. Hood Oaks conservation area lies within an ecological transition zone. It hosts extraordinary biological diversity and uncommon species assemblages, and functions beyond its borders as part of a wildlife migration and dispersal corridor. Its conservation will allow people and wildlife to move freely between two of the most popular wild places in Oregon, extending Mt. Hood National Forest by three miles to the east and White River Wildlife Area by two miles to the north.

Popular among hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, the property provides vital winter range habitat for mule deer and elk (important First Foods for members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs), as well as breeding habitat for neo-tropical, migratory birds. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife land managers estimate that, if conserved, the property could expect nearly 800 hunters each year during approved turkey, deer, and elk seasons. Countless additional hikers, wildlife watchers, botanists, and students are also anticipated to use the site. Support from the Conservation Alliance will allow Columbia Land Trust to leverage $2.8M in public funding to permanently conserve the unique habitats of Mt. Hood Oaks, while creating new opportunities for public access to nature.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

1. Permanent conservation of climate resilient wildlife habitat - Nearly 1,950 acres of rare and intact oak-pine habitat are protected from development, in Oregon’s East Cascades ecoregion. These conserved lands reduce future wildlife grazing impacts on farmland. 2. Connectivity of conservation lands - Mt. Hood National Forest is expanded to the east by three miles and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s White River Wildlife Area is expanded to the north by two miles. Mt. Hood Oaks conservation area functions as part of an important wildlife migration and dispersal corridor with adjacent conserved lands. 3. Enhanced public and tribal access - Columbia Land Trust opens nearly 1,950 acres of wild land to the public, while ensuring that tribal access for hunting and foraging is protected in perpetuity. 4. Columbia Land Trust is positioned to contribute to local economies in Wasco County - Columbia Land Trust pays property taxes and plans to: engage local contractors for land management and restoration work; pay excise taxes when forest thinning is prescribed; and utilize local mills for habitat enhancement projects. 5. Coordinated, landscape-scale management planning - A management planning process is underway (to be completed by March of 2021) that considers community and ecological benefits, fire resilience, habitat enhancement, watershed function, and strategies on adjacent public lands. CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 25, 2019 Name of Organization: Dolores River Boating Advocates Address: PO Box 1173, Dolores, CO 81323 Phone: 970-799-8704 Contact Person: Amber Clark, Executive Director Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.doloresriverboating.org Project / Campaign Name: Dolores River Canyon National Conservation Area Campaign Education and Outreach Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 37°53’45.46N, 108°48’59.77W Staff Size: 1.6 FTE Total Membership: 615 plus additional 300 on email list and 2,300 followers on social media Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $129,050 in 2019 Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $22,961 Tax Status: 501(c)(3), FEIN 45-4046629

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: DRBA promotes responsible recreational use and balanced flow management of the Dolores River, while working to protect the watershed for the health of the natural environment and the livelihood of future generations. We envision the river and surrounding landscape with permanent protection as part of BLM’s National Conservation Lands, supporting whitewater boating, and providing habitat for the native species in a way that balances the needs of all stakeholders.

One sentence on what final success looks like: Final success for the Dolores River Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) Campaign is the designation of a 100,000-acre NCA, which includes over 100 miles of the Dolores River and 28,500 acres of designated wilderness.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. The overall Campaign goal is to permanently protect the whitewater boating and conservation values of the Dolores River Canyon between the base of McPhee Reservoir and the town of Bedrock in southwest Colorado through a National Conservation Area designation. Despite a history of diversions and impacts to ecological and recreational values, the Dolores River remains an iconic river corridor and landscape that is widely recognized as an incredibly special place worth protecting. The Dolores River landscape includes the Dolores River Canyon Wilderness Study Area as well as citizen proposed wilderness and BLM inventoried lands with wilderness characteristics, and the river itself has been found “suitable” for Wild and Scenic River designation. While these administrative tools have helped maintain the resources, they are not comprehensive and could be easily changed or removed over time. Permanent protections are critical for the long-term vitality of the river and surrounding landscape.

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Diverse collaborative discussions have been taking place for years regarding the Dolores River. This local, collaborative, and community-led process has aimed to balance concerns about water rights with protection of special Dolores River values including whitewater boating, native fish, ecology, geology, and cultural resources. A grassroots Dolores River Canyon NCA protection proposal grew out of these discussions. Two out of four affected counties that contain the bulk of the proposal are eager to move forward as soon as possible and we continue to conduct education and outreach with the other two Counties and their constituents. In 2020 we aim to work with partner organizations including The Wilderness Society, American Whitewater, Conservation Colorado, San Juan Citizens Alliance, American Rivers, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation Lands Foundation to propel the Dolores River Campaign into the next phase to get legislation introduced. Senator Bennet has long been invested in the local NCA discussions and is entering into the fourth year of his term. Emboldened by the introduction (and passage in the House) of the CORE Act, he is well supported to move forward with other protection efforts and the time is ripe to work with his staff to get Dolores River NCA legislation introduced. With the CORE Act and other public lands bills circulating in Colorado, the Dolores proposal needs to be part of the broader discussion and queued up for movement with other lands bills or it could get left behind for years to come. Timing is critical for moving permanent protections forward for this important landscape for both recreational and ecological values.

If granted, Conservation Alliance funds would be used to support public education and outreach for the Dolores River Canyon NCA protection proposal. This would include funds for travel and meetings within the region, development and maintenance of a website, print materials, a small portion of funding for production of the new Dolores River Guide which has an important education and advocacy section aimed at engaging hundreds of Dolores River boaters in protecting the Dolores River, and a portion of staff capacity to carry out education and outreach tasks.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year? Over the next year the following outcomes will be accomplished: Ø Partner groups are well coordinated to ensure that conservation and recreation interests are aligned, while diverse stakeholders and messengers are engaged and supported; Ø Campaign website is created and managed for the purpose of public education and outreach; Ø New Dolores River Guide is produced and distributed for the 2020 spring river rafting season to educate and engage hundreds of Dolores River boaters on the NCA proposal; Ø Draft legislation is made available for public comment, supportive comments from critical stakeholders and interest groups are secured, and strong support from community members and Dolores River lovers is demonstrated through successful local organizing; and Ø Counties, legislators, and stakeholders work together to move the NCA designation forward, with bill introduction by May of 2020 and subsequent efforts to support it through the legislative process.

2 CONSERVATION ALLIANCE

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY Date: November 18, 2019 Name of Organization: Downeast Lakes Land Trust Address: 4 Water Street, Grand Lake Stream, ME 04668 Phone: (207)-796-2100 Contact Person: Lillian Bowen Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: https://www.downeastlakes.org Project / Campaign Name: Lakeville Forest Project Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 45.260768, -68.041971 Staff Size: 5 Full-time employees Total Membership: Non-member Organization with approximately 1,500 supporters Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $1,271,164 Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 Tax Status: 501(C)3 Non-profit Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: Downeast Lakes Land Trust contributes to the long-term economic and environmental well-being of the Downeast Lakes region through the conservation and exemplary management of its forests and waters. One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): Conserving more than 1,900 acres of working timberland, pristine wetlands, managed wildlife habitat, and nearly two miles of undeveloped lake shore to be managed as part of one of the largest community forests in the nation. Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. The goal of the Lakeville Forest Project is to protect and conserve 1,900 acres on Sysladobsis Lake in Lakeville, ME. This parcel is currently under no conservation easement, and the current owner plans to sub-divide the property into camp lots for building. DLLT is partnering with the Trust for Public Land to purchase the land in fee, which will allow for community-led forest management for wildlife habitat, public recreational access, and a sustainable forest economy. This working forest model will parallel the current management of the Downeast Lakes Community Forest, a nearby 55,678-acre parcel owned by DLLT and managed with input and leadership from the local community. A $50,000 grant from the Conservation Alliance will provide much-needed initial support toward the overall project budget of $2.7 million. TPL and DLLT will acquire the remaining funds through our strong private donor bases and a variety of state, federal, and private grants. DLLT has raised over $58 million to conserve 370,000 acres in the Downeast Lakes region. Since 1972, The Trust for Public Land has protected more than 3.3 million acres and completed more than 5,400 park and conservation projects. Both organizations are committed to conserving the natural resources of the Downeast Lakes region for future generations, and the Lakeville Forest Project is an ideal opportunity to support our shared goal. This project fills a critical gap in a 1.4-million-acre international conserved corridor that spans from New Brunswick into interior Maine. This landscape-scale conserved corridor is crucial for migratory waterfowl and other wildlife, and it can help facilitate natural forest migration as a strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change. Furthermore, this 1,900 acres will be publicly accessible in perpetuity for a wide range of outdoor activities including hiking, birdwatching, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, outdoor education, snowmobiling, and ATVing. What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year? 1. Conservation of 1,900 acres for wildlife habitat, forest health, and long-term environmental sustainability. 2. Community involvement of 25-30 residents of Lakeville (pop. 100) in local conservation. 3. Guaranteed public access in perpetuity to a parcel that is a short drive from Bangor (pop. 31,000) and the University of Maine.

Date: December 1 2019 Name of Organization: Habitat Acquisition Trust (HAT) Address: PO Box 8552 Victoria, BC V8V 4L8 Canada Phone: 250-995-2428 Contact Person: Katie Blake, Executive Director Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.hat.bc.ca Project / Campaign Name: Sc’ianew Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area: A Reconciliation-Based Path to Conservation Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 48.3457N and 123.5509W Staff Size: 6 Total Membership: 194 Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): CDN$565,000 (~ US$418,000) Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): US$30,000 Tax Status: Registered Charity in Canada Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: Habitat Acquisition Trust is a regional land trust that conserves nature on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia. We envision a future where the full array of natural habitats on south Vancouver Island and southern Gulf Islands is healthy and conserved. One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): This project will result in a highly visible Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA), owned and governed by the Sc’ianew First Nation, safeguarding more than 6% of the world’s remaining old-growth Coastal Douglas-fir forest, while securing connected community recreational access on 445 acres near British Columbia’s capitol city. Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. It’s time for a new paradigm in conservation. The 2018 report “We Rise Together” by the Canadian Indigenous Circle of Experts, details the ongoing problems posed by current models of conservation pose to Indigenous peoples. The report recommends structural changes to how Canadians approach conservation, and a strong focus is on the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas. Taking steps towards Reconciliation, the Government of Canada will soon be transferring undeveloped lands at Mary Hill training area to the Sc’ianew First Nation under a modern treaty settlement. Recognizing the significance of the land to conservation and public recreation, but also to the socio-economic outcome for the Sc’ianew First Nation, project partners seek to purchase development rights in order to create a

1 permanent Indigenous-owned and -governed protected area that will also provide sustainable livelihoods for the Sc’ianew community. The partnership-based path needed to implement this significant and precedent-setting project will provide a strong basis for the reconciliation of relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities on Vancouver Island. The project has already received significant grassroots support from the surrounding community, including the community- based Metchosin Foundation and the Victoria Foundation, which are supplying in-kind and financial support, respectively, for the project. Since December 2018, work on this initiative has resulted in multi-lateral agreements between Habitat Acquisition Trust, the Sc’ianew First Nation, the District of Metchosin (local government), and the adjacent Pearson United World College. These agreements form the framework for the implementation of the project. Habitat Acquisition Trust will use the requested funds to support the multi-partner effort to purchase the land development rights so that the socio-economic goals of the First Nation are met while this unique tract of land is permanently protected, allowing for public access and recreation. Implementation actions include multi-lateral negotiations, agreement drafting, due diligence and satisfaction of conditions precedent. We aim to achieve permanent conservation status by the end of 2020. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Mary Hill spans 445 acres, and offers the opportunity to protect more than 6% of the world’s remaining old-growth Coastal Douglas-fir forests, sheltering more than 20 at-risk species in a globally-imperilled ecosystem. This same land provides outstanding recreational values including hiking trails with views of the Juan de Fuca Strait and Washington’s Olympic Mountains beyond, as well as ideal kayaking and potential for a land-based whale-watching trail. Mary Hill is connected to other nearby greenspaces by way of a regional trail that spans between 2 urban centers: Victoria and Sooke, BC. Connecting this project to existing park and trail infrastructure will increase public access to old growth stands without modifying those forests. In contrast with landscape-scale conservation initiatives that tend to be located in more remote regions, the Sc’ianew IPCA project will offer high accessibility and visibility, giving people the chance to see, experience, and understand how this new model of Conservation works, and giving them the chance to participate in First Nations-led initiatives. This is exceedingly important given the nature of this project. With a high potential for outdoor recreation, Mary Hill will serve as an outreach example of this model of Indigenous-led conservation. Providing funding for a portion of this project will benefit the Conservation Alliance and member brands by associating the Conservation Alliance with this new turn in conservation, particularly among recreational outdoor enthusiasts. What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

1. Creation of an Indigenous Protected Area under Indigenous ownership and governance. 2. Enabling long-term public access to existing and future recreational opportunities, including diverse trails (forested, hill-top, and coastal), beach access and kayak launches, and land-based whale watching. 3. Protection of more than 6% of the world’s remaining old-growth Coastal Douglas-fir forests, as well as more than 20 at-risk species.

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CONSERVATION ALLIANCE PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: December 1, 2019 Name of Organization: Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness (NMW) Address: P.O. Box 625, Ely, MN 55731 Phone: 347-247-3720 Contact Person: Ingrid Lyons Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: SavetheBoundaryWaters.org Project / Campaign Name: Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters (Campaign) Project Location: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (Boundary Waters), Minnesota Staff Size: 13 full-time staff and 2 interns Total Membership: 160,000 supporters Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $2.8 million Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 Tax Status: Section 501(3)(c) non-profit

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: To protect and preserve wilderness and wild places, to advocate for the protection of the Boundary Waters and the enhancement of its wilderness aspect, and to foster education about the value of wilderness and wild places.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): Protection of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (1.1 million acres), Voyageurs National Park (218,200 acres), and Canada’s Quetico Provincial Park (1,180,000 acres) from sulfide-ore copper mining pollution through a ban on this type of mining on 234,328 acres surrounding the Boundary Waters.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

The Boundary Waters, the largest Wilderness Area east of the Rockies and north of the Everglades, is one of “50 Places of a Lifetime” according to National Geographic and the most popular wilderness in America. People drive from Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis and fly from around the world to camp, paddle, fish, hike, hunt, snowshoe, ski, and enjoy the pristine beauty of this breathtaking expanse of water, forest, and wetlands. Boasting more than 155,000 visitors each year, the Boundary Waters is the most-heavily visited Wilderness in the country and the cornerstone of Minnesota’s growing $16.7 billion outdoor recreation economy. Unfortunately, the Chilean mining company Antofagasta and its subsidiary Twin Metals have proposed building dangerous sulfide-ore copper mines along waterways that flow into the Boundary Waters, Voyageurs National Park, and Quetico Park. The area’s clean water and rich aquatic ecosystem are particularly vulnerable to acid mine drainage from this type of mining. Economic analysis shows that sulfide-ore mining in this region could lead to the loss of 5,000 jobs in tourism and as many as 22,000 jobs in total.

On December 15, 2016, the U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior announced a two-year moratorium on sulfide-ore copper mining in much of the Boundary Waters watershed and initiated an Environmental Impact Study to inform a decision on whether to ban sulfide-ore copper mining in the region for 20 years. Not surprisingly, the new administration has challenged, attacked, and reversed important Boundary Waters protections and studies. On May 2, 2018, the Trump Administration reinstated the two long-expired federal mineral leases that Antofagasta/Twin Metals had held. By reinstating these leases, the Interior Department limited consideration of negative impacts of copper mining in this vulnerable location, which is contrary to longstanding environmental law. On June 21, 2018, nine Minnesota businesses and NMW filed suit against the Department of Interior and the Bureau of Land Management to overturn their unlawful attempt to reinstate mining rights to Antofagasta. Several days later two additional lawsuits were filed by conservation groups. The cases were consolidated and are pending in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. Antofagasta/Twin Metals has intervened in the lawsuit on the side of the Trump Administration.

On September 6, 2018, Agriculture Secretary Perdue abruptly cancelled the second two-year study of how best to protect the Boundary Waters from copper mining and withdrew the Forest Service’s request that the Boundary Waters watershed be protected from sulfide-ore mining. The previously submitted science and economic reports that demonstrate that only a mining ban will protect the Boundary Waters are being withheld from the public, despite questions in 14 oversight committee hearings and numerous requests from Representatives McCollum, Haaland, Lowenthal, and Grijalva, among others.

Given this administration's suppression of information regarding science, economics, public health and public opinion along with their stonewalling response to Congressional Oversight Committees, we are now working with Representative McCollum on a bill for permanent protection for the Boundary Waters. A grant from the Conservation Alliance would help the Campaign to garner widespread, bi-partisan support for legislation that would permanently protect the Boundary Waters. Specifically, these funds would help the Campaign to expand its powerful and diverse coalition, engage grassroots citizen action nationwide, generate national media attention, and complete high-level meetings with decision makers in Washington, D.C.

What are 3-5 measurable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

1. Strong bipartisan support for legislation introduced in congress through strategic meetings in Washington, D.C. as well as constituent engagement in key congressional districts across the country.

2. Mobilization of thousands of Boundary Waters supporters across the country through targeted advertising and social media posts, strategic action alerts targeted at their congressional representatives, and working with our over 350 coalition partners, including sportsmen, businesses, youth, veterans, and others.

These outcomes are critical to advancing legislation and ultimately achieving permanent protection for the Boundary Waters. With a Democratic majority in the U.S. House, we believe we have an excellent opportunity in this chamber to introduce and build the momentum that will lead to passage of a bill to permanently protect the Boundary Waters, thus resulting in a reasonable chance of success within four years.

We are working closely with U.S. Representatives McCollum and Grijalva. Both have told us and demonstrated that protecting the Boundary Waters is a high priority. We are engaged with their committee staff in planning for bill language (McCollum) and a hearing on a bill (Grijalva), while the Campaign is actively seeking Republican bill co-sponsors. The bill will most likely be introduced in January 2020.

A grant in the amount of $50,000 from the Conservation Alliance would be used to expand the national Campaign and work towards passing legislation for the permanent protection of the Boundary Waters. We are thankful for the Conservation Alliance’s past support, and we look forward to continuing our strong partnership to protect this national treasure. CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: December 1, 2019 ​ Name of Organization: Ohio Environmental Council ​ Address: 1145 Chesapeake Avenue, Suite I, Columbus, Ohio 43212 ​ Phone: (614) 487-7506 ​ Contact Person: Kristi Boger, Director of Grants Management ​ Contact Email Address: [email protected] ​ Website Address: www.TheOEC.org ​ Project / Campaign Name: Black Diamond Backcountry Campaign ​ Project Location: Wayne National Forest in Ohio ​ Staff Size: 23 staff members ​ Total Membership: 25,400+ active email list members; 60,000+ total on email list ​ Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $2,548,704 ​ Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 ​ Tax Status: 501(c)(3) ​

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement

The mission of the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) is to secure healthy air, land, and water for all who call Ohio home. The OEC’s vision is a clean, beautiful Ohio where diverse people, innovation, and all of our natural treasures thrive.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds)

The Black Diamond Backcountry Campaign’s goal is to secure, from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), a named Backcountry Area in the northern tier of the Wayne National Forest’s (the Wayne) Athens Unit. By establishing this Backcountry Area, the USFS will remove approximately 30,000 acres of the Wayne from timber rotation and enhance recreational values, tourism opportunities, habitat, and aesthetics in this important landscape.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

The OEC’s overall goal is to secure a named Backcountry Area in the northern tier of the Wayne National Forest’s Athens Unit. With significant timbering pressure from the Trump Administration and a forest plan revision process that is underway, now is the time to mobilize the region to protect its natural assets and harness its recreation opportunities. The Backcountry Area we propose is modeled on federal wilderness and will prohibit commercial timbering, road building, mineral extraction, and mechanized recreation. By establishing this Backcountry Area, the USFS will remove approximately 30,000 acres of Ohio’s only national forest from timber rotation and enhance recreational values, tourism opportunities, habitat, and aesthetics in this important landscape.

1 The named Backcountry Recreation Area we request is located in the heart of Ohio’s Little Cities of Black Diamonds micro-region, situated in the heart of the Wayne’s Athens Unit’s non-mechanized backpacking and horse riding trails. It spans the rugged and scenic Buckeye Trail/North Country Trail sections, includes the Wildcat Hollow backpacking trail network and primitive hunting area, and boasts and seven roadless parcels in excess of 1,000 acres (which, for Ohio and the Wayne, is significant). Some of the Wayne’s largest and oldest tree specimens and its most rugged, remote, and ecologically valuable land is found here. If protected, this area would provide ideal interior forest habitat for the state-endangered American black bear and the imperiled Cerulean warbler. Absent the creation of a protected Backcountry Area, the Black Diamonds micro-region is likely to be heavily timbered and its ecological integrity, aesthetic appeal, and recreation opportunities destroyed for generations.

With support from the Conservation Alliance, the OEC will implement a strategically local, grassroots organizing campaign to build a movement of citizens, organizations, businesses, and local governments calling for a named backcountry in the area we have outlined. Our direct conversations with Wayne National Forest staff have confirmed that this type of local support is what will guarantee this initiative’s success. Through the Campaign, we will: ​ Secure signatures for our sign-on letter from 100+ local organizations and small businesses; help pass four county-level and 13 city/village-level resolutions of support; and ensure the Backcountry Area is featured in the Wayne’s Draft Forest Plan Alternatives. When successful, this Campaign will set the Wayne on a course to be the gateway for millions of people to enter and connect with expansive, awe-inspiring nature. As the only national forest in Ohio, the Wayne has the potential to garner comparatively more public support than many other national forests. And, building strong public lands and environmental movements in this population-rich and politically important state is a real opportunity.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to ​ ​ accomplish over the next year?

Over the next year, the OEC will accomplish the following outcomes through the Black Diamond Backcountry Campaign: 1) Secure signatures for our sign-on letter from 100+ local organizations and small businesses (includes parallel backcountry support letter submissions); 2) Passage of 4 resolutions of support from county commissioners in Perry, Athens, Hocking, and Morgan Counties, respectively; 3) Secure city and village council resolutions of support from Shawnee, Athens, Nelsonville, Logan, Glouster, McConnelsville, New Straitsville, Buchtel, Murray City, Hemlock, Trimble, Corning, and Rendville; and 4) Ensure the Backcountry Area is featured in the Wayne’s Draft Forest Plan Alternatives.

2 CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: December 1, 2019

Name of Organization: Oregon Wild

Address: 5825 N Greeley, Portland, OR 97217

Phone: 503.283.6343 ext. 224

Contact Person: Jonathan Jelen, Development Director

Contact Email Address: [email protected]

Website Address: www.oregonwild.org

Project / Campaign Name: Protecting up to 3,900 miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers and 1.6 million acres of public lands in Oregon

Project Location: Oregon

Staff Size: 14

Total Membership: 3,400

Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $1,236,955

Amount Requested from Alliance: $50,000

Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: Oregon Wild works to protect and restore Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters as an enduring legacy for future generations.

One sentence on what final success looks like: Final success results in Wild & Scenic River protections for between 1,000-3,900 miles of Oregon’s rivers and other waterways as well as “double” half-mile buffers on each side to create up to 1.6 million acres of new public land protections.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

Oregon Wild respectfully requests a $50,000 grant to seize one of the most significant conservation opportunities in Oregon’s history – a campaign aiming to secure Wild & Scenic River protections for up to 3,900 miles of Oregon’s waterways and 1.6 million acres of public lands.

We are extremely excited to report that we are working closely with Senator Wyden and his office to pursue a massive expansion of federal Wild & Scenic River protections in Oregon. As part of a coordinated communications strategy, Senator Wyden’s office publicly announced a public nomination process on the 51 st anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act.

In order to seize this opportunity for such a vast expansion of public lands and waterway protections, Oregon Wild and our partners will need to dedicate significant time and resources as well as develop and implement a comprehensive strategy aimed at generating and mobilizing public support, building on this initial momentum (both publicly and with Wyden’s office), and withstanding the imminent opposition that will assuredly attempt to stall, weaken, and stop this campaign at some point along the way. Several Conservation Alliance member companies have already participated in this effort and we invite the Conservation Alliance to partner with us as we work to effectively seize this opportunity to make dramatic gains for protecting the rivers and public lands that are at the heart of Oregon.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

1. Legislation for between 1,000 – 3,900 miles of new Wild & Scenic River protections in Oregon introduced in early to mid-2020. 2. We are hopeful that the final list of nominated rivers will include the South Umpqua River, the Breitenbush River, Rough & Ready Creek, the Grande Ronde River and its tributaries, the North Fork Clackamas, Tumalo Creek, the North Fork Crooked River, and the tributaries of the Metolius River, to name a few. 3. Through working with our coalition we intend to generate over 2,000 river nominations for the initial public comment nomination process. Additionally, we will demonstrate broad public support by generating turn-out at key town halls hosted by Senator Wyden in each county every year. 4. In order to raise the public profile of this campaign, to generate momentum, and to apply pressure as needed to elected officials, Oregon Wild will execute a comprehensive grassroots communications strategy resulting in fifteen news stories, five editorials, ten opinion editorials, and twenty letters to the editor.

Two Page Summary

Protecting North Carolina’s Mountain Treasures

Date: December 2, 2019 Name of Organization: Outdoor Alliance Address: PO Box 66041, Washington, DC 20035 Phone: 202-765-8070 Contact Person: Adam Cramer Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.outdooralliance.org Project / Campaign Name: Protecting North Carolina’s Mountain Treasures Project Location: North Carolina Staff Size: 6 Total Membership: Approximately 300,000 Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $1,276,000 Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 Tax Status: 501c3

Mission Statement

Outdoor Alliance unites the voices of outdoor enthusiasts to protect the human-powered outdoor recreation experience and conserve America’s public lands.

What Final Success Looks Like

To secure 20 years of improved management for the 1.1 million acres of North Carolina’s Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests; including protections for 48,000 acres along 29 new eligible Wild and Scenic Rivers and 70,000 acres of recommended Wilderness; and lay the groundwork for Congressional designations for these special places.

Project Summary

The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forest is in the midst of revising its Forest Plan, a multi-year process that will impact how these forests should be managed for the next 20 years. Home to outstanding rock climbing, ice climbing, whitewater paddling, mountain biking, hiking, and camping, this region draws in more than 6.8 million visitors annually and is one of the most popular mountain destinations in the east. Right now, we have an invaluable opportunity to protect this special landscape and set the stage for permanent protections, including Wilderness areas and Wild and Scenic River designations. Outdoor Alliance requests continued support for its campaign to protect this treasured region through the Nantahala and Pisgah Forest Planning process.

Over the last six years, Outdoor Alliance and its partners at American Whitewater, the International Mountain Bicycling Association, and Access Fund have been deeply engaged in this forest planning process. Funding from The Conservation Alliance over the last three years has enabled us to lay the groundwork for success by developing an approach to Forest Planning that harnesses the power of locally- informed civic engagement, and complementing that with in- house forest planning expertise, national influence, a strong regional grassroots network, and an unparalleled GIS inventory of landscapes and recreation in the forests.

We have laid the foundation for the protection of 1.1 million acres of forest, and Outdoor Alliance is now in a crucial position to secure a Forest Plan that protects the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forest for the next 20 years. Outdoor Alliance will use Conservation Alliance funding to 1) advocate for our policy and designation priorities through the finalization of the forest plan, and 2) design and implement a permanent protection legislative campaign. In service of these core goals, we will build consensus among key partners, develop and implement communications to support protections, convene coalitions, create and disseminate GIS data and mapping, conduct media and community outreach, and to meet with local, regional, and national Forest Service contacts.

Outcomes

1. A final forest plan that contains the strongest possible conservation protections. We will secure a plan with increased acreage and river miles eligible for the highest level of protection, that also establishes the value and protection of the forest’s outdoor recreation assets. This plan should be broadly supported by the recreation and conservation communities, contain cutting edge conservation and sustainable recreation policy provisions, and have resilient political and social support.

2. A collaboratively designed permanent protective designation campaign. With the aid of a professional facilitator, the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership (of which we are members) will design and implement a permanent protective legislative campaign in support of new Wild & Scenic Rivers and new Wilderness areas, and work to garner political momentum in support of the campaign.

3. An engaged and educated constituency of grassroots supporters and stakeholders. We will work with the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership, the grassroots public, grasstops leaders, and outdoor businesses to maintain momentum around the priority plan alternative; will continue to produce positive media coverage of the plan; and provide opportunities for the public to share their input.

4. A vetted, validated model of forest planning collaboration that can be scaled to other forests. The innovative concepts we have introduced to this process will have ripple effects on other forest plans for decades to come. We are using this forest as a model to modernize the paradigm of forest planning from being extractive-oriented to one that leverages local knowledge, passion for place, and civic engagement to be more conservation oriented.

5. U.S. Forest Service validation and support of Outdoor Alliance’s approach to forest planning at a local, regional, and national level. We will bring public comments, GIS data and maps, and meet directly with local, regional, and national Forest Service staff to ensure they hear the voices of the outdoor community and validate our approach.

CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 23, 2019

Name of Organization: The Association of West Kootenay Rock Climbers (TAWKROC)

Address: 815 Observatory Street, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, V1L 4Z3

Phone: 1.250.365.1820

Contact Person: Delia Roberts

Contact Email Address: [email protected]

Website Address: http://tawkroc.org/

Project / Campaign Name: Save the Waterline Walls

Project Location (GPS Coordinate): 49°16'32'' N 117°39'37'' W

Staff Size: 8 volunteer directors, plus 5 supporting volunteers for the campaign

Total Membership: 130 voting members plus 1,900 followers on social media

Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $2,800 plus $100,000 in fundraising

Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $41,125

Tax Status: Not-for-profit registered society

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: To encourage and promote the stewardship and preservation of public access for new and existing cliff and mountain areas in the West Kootenay Region of British Columbia and to foster their use, maintenance and improvement by means of environmentally sustainable methods. We also aim for inclusiveness in these endeavors including families and youth.

What final success looks like: Preservation and stewardship for the environmental conservation and public access of 11.18 acres of urban wilderness including six walls with over 100 developed routes ranging from 5.6 – 5.12+. In addition the area includes 10-kilometers of multi-purpose trails, provides surface flow into a wetland, and acts as a wildlife corridor linking green spaces to the west, south and north of the crag. Our goal is to complete the purchase and reopening of the area to the public within 24 months.

Summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project: The overall goal of the proposed project is to purchase a portion of an urban wilderness area in order to preserve environmental sustainability and maintain public access to a high quality rock crag and multi-purpose trail system. The area is currently closed to the public and at risk of commercial development. The timeline for this project is for the purchase and reopening of the land to be completed within 24 months. The Waterline Walls are located on privately owned land in the West Kootenay region of British Columbia, only minutes from the city of Castlegar. They are part of one of the few remaining wetlands in the area and act as a wildlife corridor, supporting a rich variety of flora and fauna including large and small game and at least three blue- listed species. The trail system has historically been heavily used for recreation year round (walking, mountain biking, hiking, snow shoeing and Nordic skiing) by local residents, school and youth groups, search and rescue trainers and rock climbers. The crag has become widely known for the quality of the rock and diversity of routes for both beginners and experts alike, with the added lure of great potential for further route development. As such the area was well on its way to becoming a destination climbing location. In the fall of 2018 these lands changed hands, were closed to the public and are now at risk of commercial development. However, the new owners have agreed to sell TAWKROC an 11.18-acre portion containing the rock walls and the main trail system, thereby ensuring its sustainable recreational use by the public. TAWROCK has a proven record of land stewardship with the nearby Kinnaird Bluffs. In spite of our small local population base, in just two-years, local fundraising efforts were successful in raising the full purchase price of the land. Public access has been preserved with environmentally responsible trail and route development, and the replacement of old or damaged hardware. This bluff is within walking distance of the Waterline Walls and there is potential for linking the two areas via extension of the system of multi-purpose trails that currently exist in the area. There is also wonderful mountain biking trail system nearby, which could potentially be connected to the Waterline Walls. If successful, the funds awarded by the Conservation Alliance would be put toward the purchase of the 11.18-acre portion of land including the Waterline Walls and the multi-purpose trail, and thereby ensure continued public access and preservation of the area for generations to come.

3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes accomplishable over the next year: 1. Obtain approval from the City of Castlegar for subdivision of the 11.18-acre parcel of land including the Waterline Walls and multi-purpose trail system. 2. Raise sufficient funds to purchase the 11.18-acre parcel of land from the private landowner and complete the land transfer. 3. Re-open the Waterline Walls and multi-purpose trail system to the public as soon as the purchase is complete, including an appropriate release-of-liability waiver system. 4. Erect signage acknowledging funding sponsors and rules for sustainable use of the land including parking, waste management, trail and route building and maintenance. 5. Complete planning for a sustainable waste management system for the area.

CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 27, 2019 Name of Organization: The Wilderness Society Address: 1615 M Street NW, Washington DC 20036 Phone: 202.833.2300 Contact Person: Jim Ramey, State Director, Colorado Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.wilderness.org Project / Campaign Name: The Gunnison Public Lands Initiative (GPLI) Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): Gunnison County, Colorado [38.759779, -106.967243] Staff Size: 150 organization-wide Total Membership: 1 million members and supporters Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $35,345,000 (FY2020) Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 Tax Status: 501c3 non- profit

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: The Wilderness Society’s (TWS) mission is to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds):

The goal of our project is to see the GPLI’s proposed permanent protections for more than 452,000 acres of Forest Service and BLM public lands in Gunnison County enacted through legislation by 2022 and reflected to a significant extent in the GMUG land management plan.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. The goal of our project is to see the GPLI’s proposed permanent protections for more than 452,000 acres of Forest Service and BLM public lands in Gunnison County enacted through legislation by 2022 and reflected to a significant extent in the GMUG land management plan. A revised, comprehensive proposal for protecting public lands in Gunnison County is now nearly complete, with roughly 53,000 acres (down from 182,000 acres at this time last year) still under discussion—mostly places on the outskirts of the county. This well-received proposal includes new proposed Wilderness that would protect nearly 84,000 acres of key habitat, watersheds, and recreation values; contribute to climate adaptation; and avoid conflicting uses. It would add to the West Elk, Fossil Ridge, Raggeds, and Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness Areas, as well as establish at least three new Wilderness Areas. Much of this newly protected Wilderness would connect existing high-elevation Wilderness Areas to mid- and low-elevation landscapes, adding critical underrepresented ecosystems to the National Wilderness Preservation System.

The Wilderness Society would use Conservation Alliance funding to support GPLI as it sustains and grows the partnerships and community support we need to succeed. In these processes, The Wilderness Society’s expertise will become even more important and our deeper engagement even more necessary. Specifically, we will need to significantly increase our assistance in drafting the legislation and determining the strategy for its introduction in Congress.

What are 3-5 measurable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year? 1. Secure and convey to congressional delegation the support of key stakeholders for the proposal and the national forest management plan and recommendations, including Gunnison County Comissioners local municipalities, Colorado Parks and Wildlife/Department of National Resources, and Gov. Jared Polis. 2. Secure broad public support: at least 100 business entities and 1,040 members of the general public. 3. Produce a technically sound consensus draft of legislation.

PROPOSAL SUMMARY Name of Organization: Trout Unlimited - Alaska Program

Address: 3105 Lakeshore Drive #102b, Anchorage, AK 99517

Phone: 907-770-1776

Contact Person: Nelli Williams, Alaska Director

Contact Email Address: [email protected]

Website Address: https://www.tu.org/tu-programs/alaska and www.savebristolbay.org

Project / Campaign Name: Trout Unlimited’s Save Bristol Bay

Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 57° to 59° North 157° to 162° West in Southwest Alaska.

Staff Size: 8 Total Membership: AK: 900 members; 28,000 supporters; Nationwide: 140,000 members; 300,000 supporters

Annual Operating Budget: $1,127,000 in AK; $43 million (nationwide)

Amount Requested from Alliance: $50,000 Tax Status: 501(c)3 Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: To protect, reconnect, restore and sustain North America’s fisheries and the habitat they depend upon. One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denies the Pebble Limited Partnership the federal 404(c) permit that they need in order to begin digging in southwest Alaska, Northern Dynasty Minerals abandons their investment in the Pebble project, and successive policy measures ensure large-scale hard rock mining exploration is prohibited in the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve (approx 40,000 sq. miles). Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. In the community-based and nationally supported efforts to stop the proposed Pebble mine from being built in the headwaters of Bristol Bay, sportsmen have been a consistent advocate for the unmatched resources of southwest Alaska. Boasting the largest sockeye salmon run on the planet that yielded 56.3 million fish in 2019, Bristol Bay truly is a place like none other. With the powerhouse salmon runs that have returned to the region for thousands of years come trophy-sized trout, dense concentrations of the iconic brown bear, and unending landscapes of healthy lands and waters. These natural resources have supported a now $1.6 billion commercial and sport fishery that has sustained more than 14,000 jobs, and the subsistence traditions that feed nearly 8,000 Alaska Natives every year. Sportsmen, commercial fishermen and Alaska Native tribe and communities have banded together to be ardent advocates for these resources, working tirelessly over the past decade to stop Bristol Bay’s largest threat: the proposed Pebble Mine. Nonetheless, favorable political windows have led the proposed open-pit mine (North America’s largest) to be pushed quickly toward development in the headwaters of Bristol Bay today. Thanks to people across the country coming together against this irresponsible project, the Pebble Mine has gone from a sure thing to a company that continues to face financial challenges and is reaching desperately for a key permit they need to stay alive. Despite the vocal opposition that Trout Unlimited’s Alaska team has garnered, captured and directed from anglers, lodge owners, fly fishing guides, pilots and others in the region, political efforts to fast track the Pebble permit review process have made 2019 and 2020 crucial years in the fight to stop it. Over the past year, Trout Unlimited’s Alaska program has brought our tactics to new levels. We’ve added staff capacity to outreach and organizing, reached across an even more polarized aisle to bring conservative voices to the fight, and initiated litigation to fight decisions that are fundamentally damaging and wrong. But as Pebble barrels toward receiving their key federal permit in 2020, renewed efforts will be needed to stop it in its tracks. Trout Unlimited’s Alaska program would use Conservation Alliance funding to build off productive and effective work we have carried out over the past decade to put up a strong fight to deny Pebble Mine their key permit in a critical decision-making year. To protect Bristol Bay in 2020, our team will 1) employ scientific and policy tools (Clean Water Act, National Environmental Protection Act) to defend the natural resources of the region and convince decision makers to deny pebble’s permit; 2) deliver compelling and important community leaders who oppose the mine to decision makers on the state and national level; and 3) ensure Alaskans stay strong against the Pebble Mine and that opposition is heard by the Alaska Congressional delegation What are 3-5 measurable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

• The 2014 Clean Water Act 404(c) Proposed Determination is reinstated. • Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski to takes further substantial action to defend the people, fish, and economies of Bristol Bay and supports a permit denial. • The nationwide coalition of sportfishing and outdoor businesses who are poised speak out against the mine continues to expand and are increasingly willing to direct their customers towards actionable items. • The Trump and Dunleavy Administration clearly know that sportsmen and women oppose Pebble Mine and want their permit denied. • The Pebble Partnership’s Clean Water Act 404 permit is denied (or delayed).

Lincoln Peak Conservation Project Warren, Lincoln, and Roxbury, Vermont Summary Page

Date: December 1, 2019

Name of Organization: The Trust for Public Land

Address: 3 Shipman Place, Montpelier, Vermont 05602

Phone: 802.223.1373 x12

Contact Person: Michael Giammusso, Director of Institutional Giving

Contact Email Address: [email protected]

Website Address: www.tpl.org

Project Name: Lincoln Peak Conservation Project The Lincoln Peak project is located just ¼ mile from the Long Trail Lincoln Gap Trailhead, and 25 feet Project Location: Warren, Lincoln, and Roxbury, Vermont away from the actual footpath of the Long Trail. Photo by Ember Photography. VERMONT RUNS THROUGH PATTERSON Staff Size: Approx. 6 FTE dedicated to Vermont/New Hampshire; 320 nationwide

Total Membership: 23,000 (approx.)

Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $66,935,000

Amount Requested from Alliance: $50,000

Tax Status: 501(c)3

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.

Success Statement Success will look like… the permanent conservation of 724 acres of woods and waters in Vermont’s Green Mountains—expanding and protecting public recreational access, increasing regional landscape connectivity, and advancing wildlife conservation efforts. Lincoln Peak Conservation Project Warren, Lincoln, and Roxbury, Vermont

The Trust for Public Land is working with the U.S. Forest Service, State of Vermont, and local residents to complete the Lincoln Peak Conservation Project, which will protect three high-priority public land inholdings totaling 724 acres in the towns of Lincoln, Roxbury, and Warren, Vermont. Together, these parcels will protect and enhance wildlife habitat, forest connectivity, carbon sequestration, water quality, and extensive trail-based recreation.

Improving Recreational Access The project area contains 1.3 miles of the Catamount Trail, a winter use trail spanning the length of Vermont. If access to the property were lost, there would be no way to reroute the section due to difficult topography and stream crossings, and adjacent ski resort development. Moreover, the parcel located in Lincoln is just ¼ mile from the Long Trail Lincoln Gap Trailhead, and 25 feet away from the actual footpath of the Long Trail.

Protecting Landscape Connectivity and Wildlife Habitat The Lincoln Peak property is surrounded by 140,000 acres of the Green Mountain National Forest and 460,000 acres of other public and private conservation lands, and is within the Green Mountain Wildlife Linkage—the largest north-south wildlife linkage in Vermont. The property is within a Priority Climate Area, according to a 2012 study by The Nature Conservancy, which found that the property has an above average ability to maintain ecological functions and a diversity of native species, even as the species composition changes in response to climate. The project area has documented occurrences of multiple native species, including bobcat, moose, and black bear.

Securing Watershed Quality The Lincoln Peak tracts contain 60 riparian acres, including segments of Lincoln and Bradley Brooks. The former feeds into the Mad River and, ultimately, Lake Champlain, a drinking water source for 145,000 people in Vermont, New York, and Quebec. In partnership with Friends of the Mad River, VT Fish & Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Trout Unlimited, and VT Dept. of Environmental Conservation, the National Forest is restoring aquatic connectivity through installing larger culverts and removing obstacles to fish passage in Lincoln Brook. Acquisition of the property by U.S. Forest Service will allow management to decrease erosion and sedimentation, and improve water quality in this watershed.

Project Urgency Vermont’s Green Mountains face urgent and growing threats from subdivision and development, climate change, and other pressures. The U.S. Forest Service has identified the Green Mountain National Forest (which encompasses much of the mountain range) as one of the nation’s most “development-threatened” national forests. The permanent protection of the Lincoln Peak parcels will prevent their fragmentation and avoid user conflicts, an especially acute risk here due to the popularity of the Long Trail and Catamount Trail, and proximity to Sugarbush Ski Resort.

The project area contains 1.3 miles of the unprotected section of the Catamount Trail, a winter use trail spanning the length of Vermont. Photo by Ember Photography.

The Conservation Alliance Mariano Rancho Acquisition Project Proposal

Date: 11-25-2019 ​ Name of Organization: Ventura Land Trust ​ Address: 3451 Foothill Road, Suite 201, Ventura, CA 93003 ​ Phone: (805) 643-8044 ​ Contact Person: Leslie Velez ​ Contact Email Address: [email protected] ​ Website Address: www.venturalandtrust.org ​ Project / Campaign Name: Mariano Rancho Acquisition Project ​ Project Location: Mariano Rancho, Ventura, CA ​ Staff Size: 6 ​ Total Membership: 757 ​ Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $855,910 (2019) ​ Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 ​ Tax Status: 501(c)3 Nonprofit Corporation ​

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: The mission of the Ventura Land Trust is to permanently protect the land, water, wildlife and scenic beauty of the Ventura region for current and future generations.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): Success will be the purchase and permanent protection of the 1,645-acre Mariano Rancho, an iconic Ventura property that includes scenic vistas, restored coastal sage scrub habitat, and legal public access to 12 miles of multi-use dirt roads and hiking/biking trails.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. Ventura Land Trust requests $50,000 from The Conservation Alliance towards the fee title acquisition of the 1,645-acre Mariano Rancho, with the ultimate goal of opening the property for nature restoration, preservation and public access. This project provides a rare opportunity to permanently protect open space immediately adjacent to the City of Ventura. Stewardship opportunities include restoration of coastal sage scrub communities and scattered oak woodlands. Mariano Rancho also includes a network of existing dirt roads, perfect for hiking, trail running, and biking in a community that is severely lacking in immediate access to nature and trails. Once acquired, Ventura Land Trust plans to expand the Mariano Rancho trail network to provide connectivity to other open spaces around Ventura.

Having been grazed for close to two centuries, much of Mariano Rancho has been type converted from coastal sage scrub to grasslands. By drastically cutting back the amount of

The Conservation Alliance Mariano Rancho Acquisition Project Proposal grazing on the property, Ventura Land Trust hopes to return much of the 1,645 acres to its native coastal sage scrub habitat. Additional stewardship goals include the proliferation of Coast Live Oak trees across the property and detailed studies on animal species that frequent the property. Under Ventura Land Trust ownership, Mariano Rancho will provide an easy, local connection to nature for many thousands of residents who currently must drive at least 30 minutes to access similar landscapes. The proximity of Mariano Rancho to the City of Ventura makes this acquisition of the utmost importance for public recreation, as the preserve will be in walking distance for roughly 30,000 residents. This includes residents of low-income west Ventura neighborhoods.

Ventura Land Trust would use $50,000 in grant funding from The Conservation Alliance to go toward the property’s asking price of $4 million. With $1.175 million in funding already secured, Ventura Land Trust is currently seeking funding from multiple sources, and if received, funds from The Conservation Alliance would play a significant role in our portfolio of funding sources.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to ​ ​ accomplish over the next year? 1. Raise $1.5 million dollars for the Mariano Rancho stewardship endowment 2. Finalize Mariano Rancho Management Plan 3. Develop four public access points for Mariano Rancho 4. Use Mariano Rancho acquisition excitement to increase membership to 1,000 members 5. Foster an atmosphere of collaboration amongst public agencies and stakeholders involved with Mariano Rancho

CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO‐PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 14, 2019 Name of Group: Virginia Wilderness Committee Address: Post Office Box 1235, Lexington, VA 24450 Phone: (540) 464-1661 Contact Person: Mark Miller Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: www.vawilderness.org Staff Size: 1.5 Total Membership: 350 Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $104,000 Amount Requested from Alliance: $25,000 Tax Status: 501c3 Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: The mission of the Virginia Wilderness Committee is to permanently protect the best wild places on federally owned land in Virginia for the benefit of future generations. One sentence on what Final Success looks like: Final success will entail the enactment of Congressional legislation designating over 100,000 acres of the George Washington National Forest (GWNF) in Virginia as Wilderness and National Scenic Area. Please provide a short (2‐3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

The Virginia Wilderness Committee (VWC) is in the midst of an active campaign to permanently protect 100,000 acres of unfragmented wild lands in the George Washington National Forest (GWNF) in western Virginia. Our goal is to pursue federal legislation to designate additions to the Rich Hole Wilderness (4500 acres) and the Rough Mountain Wilderness (1000 acres), to establish the Beech Lick Knob Wilderness (6177 acres), and to establish the 90,000 acre Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area (SMNSA) with nearly 30,000 acres of embedded Wilderness. Our strategy has been to reach out to diverse forest user groups that are usually opposed Wilderness designation and to engage their support through collaboration and compromise. The Stakeholder Collaborative (SC) was established in 2010 and has continued its work to the present day. VWC has achieved unprecedented success with this strategy. Led by VWC, these diverse groups signed an agreement in October, 2011 that supports permanent protection of core wild areas while allowing active wildlife and timber management on the perimeter and surrounding lands. The areas proposed for protection are recognized the Revised Management Plan for the GWNF and have been recommended in the newly Revised Forest Plan for the GWNF. They are also supported by the SC. The VWC has been working with the Forest Service, game managers including the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Ruffed Grouse Society, the Virginia Bear Hunters Association, recreationalist including equestrians and Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition, The Nature Conservancy, timber interests including the Virginia Forestry Association, as well as conservation groups to forge the compromises necessary to complete and implement large management and restoration landscape on the GWNF. The Lower Cowpasture Restoration Project combines timber and game management, stream restoration, trail construction, illegal road closures and wilderness designations, all under one large landscape analysis areas. The District Ranger signed a Decision Notice in December, 2015. This project is now in full implementation. The connector trail for Douthat State Park for access to National Forest was completed last year. Legislation for the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act was reintroduced in the Senate in January, 2019. This legislation is supported by Bath County. The FS is working on its second landscape scale project surrounding the plan designated Beech Lick Knob Wilderness Study Area. The North Shenandoah Restoration Project will follow the path similar to the one established by the Lower Cowpasture Restoration Project. This Decision Notice is scheduled to be released in the early summer of 2020. Wilderness advocates anticipate legislation for the Beech Lick Knob Wilderness to be introduced after the start of project implementation later in 2020. We have also been working with the SC on a plan to introduce the SMNSA in the same piece of legislation. The Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition is working on a large trail and recreation management plan for the entire North River District. VWC will be offering input and assistance when required. The Shenandoah Mountain NSA features over 150 miles of trails, is recognized as a Nature Conservancy biological hotspot, and feature nearly 100 miles of designated cold water streams necessary or Brook trout. These streams form the headwaters for the Potomac, Shenandoah and James River. VWC has an active board that general contributes over 1000 hours of volunteer hours per year. This support makes it possible us to accomplish our goals of enhancing recreational opportunities on the GWNF as well as our legislative proposal. Without the support from the board these activities all these activities would not be possible.

What are 3‐5 measureable on‐the‐ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

1) Secure passage of the Virginia Wilderness Additions Act in 2020. 2) Secure resolutions from Augusta, Rockingham and Highland Counties as well as the City of Harrisonburg for the SMNSA by July, 2020. 3) Assist the FS in completion of planning for the North Shenandoah Mountain Restoration project to ensure implementation in the summer of 2020. 4) Secure introduction for the Beech Lick Knob Wilderness Study Area and the Shenandoah Mountain National Scenic Area in early 2021.

CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: December 2, 2019 ​ Name of Group: Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition ​ Address: 25 Parkview Drive, South Hadley, MA, 01075 ​ Phone: (413) 320-5331 ​ Contact Person: Rob Sullivan ​ Contact Email Address: [email protected] ​ Website Address: www.climbgneiss.org ​ ​ Project / Campaign Name: The Hanging Mountain Project ​ Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 42.070440,-73.064852 ​ Staff Size: 7 Board of Directors, all volunteer ​ Total Membership: 685 members ​ Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $38,000 ​ Amount Requested from Alliance: $50,000 ​ Tax Status: 501(c)(3) EI# 81-0548355 ​

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: The Western Massachusetts Climbers’ Coalition (WMCC) is a non-profit local climbers’ organization that builds cohesive relationships with advocacy groups, state and local governments, landowners, and other conservation organizations to keep climbing areas open and well maintained throughout Western Massachusetts. The WMCC builds grassroots support for climbers’ concerns and promotes the protection of the natural resources of Western Massachusetts for outdoor recreation through environmental stewardship and education.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): The successful conclusion of The Hanging Mountain Acquisition Project will create a brand new, 14 acre climbing area located on the border of two densely populated New England states and protect this resource for public access in perpetuity.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. We propose to create and preserve public access to open space for rock climbing and other forms of passive recreation, such as hiking and bird watching. A Conservation Alliance Grant would help pay for the acquisition of this property by a partnership of two local climbing organizations (LCOs) from two neighboring states, each with long histories of managing and preserving climbing resources in Southern New England: the WMCC of Massachusetts and the Ragged Mountain Foundation (RMF) from Connecticut. The open space at the heart of the Hanging Mountain Acquisition Project - Hanging Mountain - ​ lay in the Farmington River Valley, in the southwest corner of Massachusetts, just a few miles from the Connecticut border. It features a long chain of ten separate granite, gneiss and schist crags, some as high as 240 feet, with what we have conservatively estimated to hold approximately 200 pitches of climbing, some of it multi-pitch. This would make it roughly half the size of Farley Ledges, the next largest climbing area in Southern New England. Eighty percent of this largely unclimbed cliff was owned by a single landowner, hostile to climbing; the remaining twenty percent is on public land. The WMCC - in the hopes of opening access to this valuable recreational area to the public - contacted the private landowner, and together with the RMF, negotiated the purchase of this parcel. The partners reached out to the Access Fund to secure a $79,500 loan from the organization’s Climbing Conservation Loan program, and on November 15th, 2019, the WMCC acquired ownership of this parcel. This acquisition includes not only the cliffs, but the space for approach trails and parking lot as well, making Hanging Mountain the only climbing area in Southern New England owned by climbers, with guaranteed access in perpetuity. Furthermore, this new major climbing resource will alleviate the many pressures placed upon nearby climbing areas by the growing popularity of rock climbing. The Conservation Alliance Grant would enable us to retire 65% of the debt incurred acquiring Hanging Mountain. 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over ​ ​ the next year? 1. Retire 50% of the $131,000.00 debt & costs incurred in purchasing this property, establishing the parking lot and trailhead. 2. Build a 500 foot access road and a 25 car parking lot on our property. 3. Create and maintain approximately 750 feet of access trails for both climbers and members of the public at large. 4. Develop and begin implementing a Long Term Stewardship Management Plan for Hanging Mountain. 5. Place the 14-acre parcel in a conservation easement by November 2020

CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 25, 2019

Name of Organization: Western Rivers Conservancy (WRC)

Address: 71 SW Oak Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97204

Phone: 503-241-0151, ext. 212

Contact Person: Sue Doroff, President

Contact Email Address: [email protected]

Website Address: www.westernrivers.org

Project / Campaign Name: Nason Ridge Project

Project Location: Central Washington

Staff Size: 20

Total Membership: 1,067 individual supporters in Fiscal Year 2019

Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $7,075,000

Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000

Tax Status: Nonprofit: 501(c)(3)

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement:

Western Rivers Conservancy’s mission is to protect outstanding river ecosystems in the western United States. We acquire land to conserve critical habitat, provide public access for compatible use and enjoyment, and cooperate with other organizations and agencies to secure the health of whole river ecosystems.

One sentence on what Final Success looks like:

The Nason Ridge Project will permanently preserve a threatened ecological and recreational treasure in the North Cascades through the conservation of 3,714 acres along two miles of Nason Creek, ensuring a haven for native fish, wildlife and people adjacent to the popular Lake Wenatchee State Park.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

Western Rivers Conservancy has a tremendous opportunity to permanently protect rare habitat and prized public access in Washington’s Wenatchee River Basin, a scenic haven for native fish and wildlife and a recreational mecca for the Northwest. With last year’s support from the Conservation Alliance,

WRC utilized a program-related investment to buy and temporarily hold the 3,714-acre Nason Ridge property, a strategic link in the conservation landscape that is highly vulnerable to logging and private resort development. The property traces two miles of Nason Creek, is an important refuge for federally listed species including bull trout, spring Chinook, summer steelhead, and Northern spotted owl, and is located within the recovery area of grey wolf and grizzly bear. The health of ESA-threatened bull trout in the greater Wenatchee basin currently hinges on protection of this property. If development were to take place at Nason Ridge, the resulting habitat degradation and sedimentation would jeopardize more than $11 million invested to date in bull trout recovery on Nason Creek by statewide partners, tribes and agencies.

Located adjacent to Lake Wenatchee State Park, the Nason Ridge property features spectacular views of Lake Wenatchee and a popular network of trails that draws locals and visitors to hike, boat, cross- country ski, fish and experience the area’s natural beauty. Local citizens have rallied around the project, fueled by concerns about landslide risks and loss of open space access. In fact, property owners near Lake Wenatchee have launched a fundraising effort to help protect the property. This high-priority acquisition enjoys the support of Chelan County, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, the Yakama Tribe, Washington State Parks, as well as state and federal wildlife agencies, NGOs, and other partners.

WRC is now working to bring this project to the finish line and permanently conserve rare habitat and treasured public access to Nason Ridge, meeting the strong community desire to ensure this scenic landscape remains open to all.

Western Rivers Conservancy would utilize a $50,000 Conservation Alliance grant to:  Temporarily hold and manage the 3,714-acre Nason Ridge property and position it for permanent conservation;  Identify the best long-term steward(s) to hold the land in perpetuity for fish and wildlife habitat preservation with compatible public recreational access;  Position the property as a pilot project for a Washington State Community Forest program; and  Cultivate major public and private funding sources to convey the property to a long-term steward.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

In the coming year, the Nason Ridge Project will achieve the following tangible results:  Imminent development and commercial logging risks removed from the Nason Ridge property, securing a stronghold for native fish and diverse wildlife;  Two river miles of fragile habitat for ESA-listed Bull Trout protected along Nason Creek, upholding $11 million in habitat restoration investments to date on Nason Creek;  Long-term steward identified and prepared to hold the property in perpetuity;  Nason Ridge positioned for permanent public recreational access compatible with conservation goals, answering the community’s call for open space preservation;  Funding secured for long-term protection of Nason Ridge, filling a critical link in the conservation landscape.

CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 27, 2019 Name of Organization: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Rocky Mountain Program Address: 1050 East Main Street, Suite 2, Bozeman, Montana 59715 Phone: +1 718 741 1627 Contact Person: Melissa Fenton Contact Email Address: [email protected] Website Address: https://www.wcs.org Project / Campaign Name: Advance a Co-Produced Vision for Indigenous-Led Conservation: Laying the Foundation for Enduring & Equitable Conservation Impact Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 48.9328° N, 113.6093° W Staff Size: 14 Total Membership: N/A Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $1,672,637 Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000 Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: WCS was founded in 1895 in no small part to prevent the extinction of bison in North America. We now work in over 60 countries to save wildlife and wild places through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. The Rocky Mountains are one of 16 regional programs globally and has a long history of advancing North American conservation. The WCS Rocky Mountain vision is to Rewild the Rockies. We implement science-based strategies for restoring and reconnecting species, landscapes, and waterways at scales that are ecologically meaningful and resilient in the face of a changing climate. Our goal is to inform and catalyze the ecological, socio-political, and cultural connectivity needed to achieve large landscape conservation across the American West’s matrix of private, public, and Indigenous lands. We advance this through four pillars: 1) ecological and social science; 2) conservation action; 3) strategic partnerships; and 4) civic engagement and mobilization. WCS is a science-driven organization with long term relationships in and commitments to the Rockies region. We work in deep partnerships with Indigenous communities, including the Blackfoot Confederacy for over a decade to advance a co-created vision for the cultural and ecological restoration of bison. This long-standing relationship and our leadership in bison conservation surfaced a significant opportunity to leverage this work and advance the protection and rewilding of grasslands more broadly in partnership with the Blackfeet Nation and federal agencies, such as Glacier National Park.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): The creation of a Blackfeet Conservation Area, adjoining the iconic Glacier and Waterton National Parks (+1 million acres) and the Kainai First Nation’s Timber Reserve, establishing a connected conservation landscape of nearly 4.5 million acres. This would result in the conservation of regionally and globally imperiled ecological keystone species (e.g., bison and beavers), lands (e.g., grasslands), and waters, as well as improved community well-being through connection to their cultural heritage and homelands. Furthermore, this will increase economic opportunities by directing the millions of tourists and recreationists visiting the region to Tribally-owned ecotourism ventures. Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding.

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WCS is requesting funding to support the Blackfeet Nation in the design of a Blackfeet Conservation Area that would establish a connected conservation landscape of nearly 4.5 million acres of protected and Indigenous lands as part of this work. We will provide the technical support to make a strong ecological case, identify the legal designations that would enable the Conservation Area creation, and develop a planning process for a comprehensive land-use plan for the wildlife, lands, and waterways on the approximately 1.5 million acre Blackfeet Reservation. We will also work with the Blackfeet Nation and Glacier National Park to co-design a body of research that draws on western and Indigenous science and cultural knowledge to support rewilding the Crown of the Continent with bison, beaver, and other keystone species. Creating this Blackfeet Conservation Area will: 1) secure lasting protections supported by current and future generations; 2) catalyze ecological and cultural connectivity across the Blackfoot Confederacy; 3) conserve and rewild the most endangered ecosystem on earth—temperate grasslands—and globally significant keystone species; 4) conserve entire watersheds from headwaters to lower elevation; 5) improve community health through connection to critical sources of food, medicine, and spiritual well- being and creation of economic opportunities; 6) increase the Blackfeet Nation’s climate resiliency and adaptation strategies; 7) catalyze meaningful civic action, including communities engaged in conservation of their lands, with a focus on elevating a new generation of Tribal members, and establishment of equitable and inclusive decision-making tables; and 8) increase scientific capacities in both Indigenous and western science. By framing conservation through this cutting-edge biocultural lens—conserving both biological and cultural diversity—we will work to co-create a new conservation paradigm that recognizes the systemic nature of conservation challenges in North America while embodying the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. This new conservation paradigm will seek to braid Indigenous worldviews with Western ones, and most importantly, will have the power to deliver system-level impact and endure over time. The potential long-term impact is nothing less than rewilding a critically endangered ecosystem and laying the foundation not only for the conservation and recovery of key species like songbirds and black- footed ferrets, grizzly bears, and butterflies, but also for ensuring the ecological and cultural resiliency of human and natural communities in a changing climate and world.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year? Outcome 1: Co-design a Blackfeet Conservation Area, including a feasibility study to make a strong ecological case (e.g., how it protects endangered and keystone wildlife and habitat) and provide guidance on legal designations options for creation of the Conservation Area. Outcome 2: Co-create a comprehensive land-use plan for the wildlife, lands, and waterways on the approximately 1.5 million-acre Blackfeet Nation. Outcome 3: Deepen and expand strategic partnerships with Indigenous Nations by co-producing a set of objectives and strategies to advance shared conservation goals and increase scientific capacity. Outcome 4: Catalyze civic engagement through meaningful dialogues that ensure Indigenous science and cultural wisdom inform the process, development of videos and other creative products, and launch of action nodes (e.g., chapters) with inspired leaders to motivate action and elevate Indigenous voices. Outcome 5: Increase scientific capacities in both Indigenous and western science by collaborating with Glacier National Park and the Blackfeet Nation to co-produce a multi-year research project to establish the foundation for rewilding the Crown of the Continent with bison, beaver, and other keystone species.

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CONSERVATION ALLIANCE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TWO-PAGE SUMMARY

Date: November 29, 2019

Name of Organization: Wyoming Outdoor Council

Address: 262 Lincoln Street, Lander, WY 82520

Phone: (307) 332-7031 X 21

Contact Person: Stephanie Kessler, Program Director

Contact Email Address: [email protected]

Website Address: www.wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org

Project / Campaign Name: Permanent Protection for Wyoming’s Wild Northern Red Desert

Project Location (One GPS Coordinate): 42°04'04"N, 108°53'38" (42.06778, -108.89389)

Staff Size: 12

Total Membership: members and supporters - 3,376

Annual Operating Budget (for entire organization): $1,176,000

Amount Requested from Alliance ($50,000 maximum): $50,000

Tax Status: 501(c)(3); Federal EIN No.: 83-0259411

Organizational Purpose/Mission Statement: Founded in 1967, we are a member-based advocacy group working to protect public lands, wildlife, and clean air and water in Wyoming. We bring people and groups together to find workable solutions to tough conservation problems.

One sentence on what final success looks like (please include the exact number of acres, miles of rivers, climbing areas, marine reserves etc. that will be protected when your project succeeds): Passage of congressional legislation that permanently protects approximately 2 million acres of high-elevation desert and sagebrush wild lands in the Northern Red Desert through federal oil and gas and mineral leasing withdrawals (future prohibitions), and within that, codifying all or portions of 7 wilderness study areas (114,800 acres total) as wilderness.

Please provide a short (2-3 paragraphs) summary of your proposal that includes the overall goal of the project and a brief explanation of how you would use Conservation Alliance funding. We seek to permanently protect Wyoming’s largest wild high-elevation desert and sagebrush landscape – the Northern Red Desert – through a 3 – 4 year effort to pass congressional legislation. The NRD is the flagship of the wildest BLM lands in Wyoming, containing seven wilderness study areas and said to be the largest unfenced area in the Lower 48 states. These lands support a diversity of wildlife and habitats, including the largest living sand dunes system in North America, iconic landforms and badlands, ephemeral pools, a rare desert elk herd, an estimated 50,000 pronghorn antelope, the world’s largest concentration of Greater sage-grouse, and the southern reach of the longest mule deer migration in the world. The Red Desert is a landscape laced with nationally historic trails such as the Oregon Trail and Pony Express Trail, abandoned ranches, and important indigenous cultural and sacred sites. This “Heart of the West” landscape provides unparalleled opportunity for solitude, dark skies, hunting, camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, horse riding, biking and heritage site visitation.

Our goal in the next year is to lead and coordinate a “quiet phase” of this long-term campaign and lay the groundwork for eventual success, with three components: 1) outreach and engagement with diverse grassroots constituencies and non-traditional allies to form a robust Wyoming coalition; 2) leveraging the increased development and drilling threat to these lands, forthcoming in the 2020 issuance of the “energy dominance” BLM Rock Springs Resource Management Plan to further educate and mobilize the public and pressure elected officials for a Wyoming conservation solution; and 3) coordinated research and production of resources to elevate public and officials’ understanding of the Northern Red Desert’s values, and diffuse opposition to protection. A strong grassroots coalition for these lands is critical; our plans include outreach to steelworker, utility and rail worker unions, sportsmen, the Native American community, backcountry horsemen, tourism officials, historic trail groups, the faith community, ranchers, and outdoor recreation groups and businesses. From our past successes, we know the power of assembling a diverse group of allies to show that in a deeply red state we share a widely held, nonpartisan belief that public lands are at the heart of Wyoming’s way of life.

Funding from Conservation Alliance will support the salary for an on-the-ground organizer to conduct outreach and recruit citizen leadership for a Red Desert coalition and work with this diverse coalition to educate local and state officials and mobilize the public in opposition to development threats and for protection. Other funding will support coalition travel, local events, field trips, map and video production and social media to support these efforts.

What are 3-5 measureable on-the-ground outcomes (NOT activities) that you hope to accomplish over the next year?

1) A vibrant NRD coalition with strong Tribal, sportsmen, rancher, recreation, business, union/blue-collar, historic preservation, faith-based and conservation citizen leadership. 2) The Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes issue formal resolutions opposing the BLM’s “energy dominance” RMP and oppose drilling in the NRD. 3) Governor Mark Gordon issues a formal position opposed to the BLM’s “energy dominance” RMP and requires protective measures for the NRD. 4) State leaders in tourism, recreation, wildlife, local businesses and government issue formal public statements opposed to energy dominance and in support of conservation of the NRD. 5) By the end of the year and from our targeted Wyoming congressional leader, we get indication of interest in sponsoring legislation for this landscape.