Not bad action for an outfit that speaks in the passive voice. And there's more: The Conservation Alliance has granted funds for protection of Maine's north woods, protection of the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, wild river protection in the Monongahela National Forest and, closer to home, monitoring national forest management in the Pacific northwest by Lighthawk, the Environmental Air Force, which has flown missions for EPIC, the Garberville-based Environmental Protection Information Center, to document illegal logging sites in the ancient redwood forests of northern California. These are only a few; the Alliance has funded 66 projects in eight years, to the tune of over $2.2 million. All but one of those have been in the U.S. or Canada. In California alone, they have spent over $417,000; more than $82,000 of that has gone toward Headwaters. They also put up a display on the Sinkyone Wilderness in the Russell Senate Building in Washington, D.C. They are actively pursuing a shift from extractive industry to outdoor recreation for our wilder areas.
The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses, "giving back to the outdoors." Their aim is to convince outdoor industry businesses that a sustainable business future for their industry requires conservation of outdoor places where people can make use of their products, and to persuade those businesses to join. Currently all member businesses but one are U.S. or Canada-based. Membership dues - assessed on a sliding scale depending on each member's income - and other contributions from member businesses go to fund groups struggling to protect our deserts, forests, mountains and rivers from destruction in the name of profit and "progress." The Alliance is proud to say that their board is all-volunteer, that member companies donate time, talent and other resources to keep the operation going and that 100% of their membership fees go directly to environmental groups.
Businesses of all sizes can take part; though the dues structure is progressive, all have an equal voice. Their roster includes such notable names as Backpacker Magazine, Burlington Industries, Grabber International, Malden Mills, Nike, Inc., Patagonia, Inc., Reebok International, Ltd., Teva Sport Sandals and many more, 56 in all. The Alliance is a 501(c)(4) organization.
Ft. Bragg's Ron Nadeau, of Grabber, International, writes in his 1995 President's message, "When the Conservation Alliance began, I had no real comprehension of the environmental degradation taking place or the extent of the threat to the outdoor industry. I only knew that where I lived the nightly croaking of frogs was long gone and that the river I loved to swim in was polluted.
"I discovered that it really takes communities tackling issues, developing a specific project focus and actively trying to stop the negative, life-threatening destruction that's occurring. I began to see that it takes dedicated people, commitment, lobbying, legislative work, grassroots organizing and financial backing to have a positive impact. My association with The Alliance has taught me a lot...about the powerful influence that business can have. I've seen companies...which have had the courage to put consciousness, ethics, morality, care and concern into their bottom lines. Together, the ingredients add up to stewardship of the earth and real consumer need fulfillment, mostly in the form of a future."
For information concerning membership or possible grant funding, you can reach The Conservation Alliance at their web site:www.outdoor link, com/consall/
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1997
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