Dating back to 1830, Woolrich, Inc. is an outdoor clothing company with deep roots in American adventure. True to its legacy, the company supports The Conservation Fund’s Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Initiative—an ambitious effort to protect the world’s largest spawning ground for wild salmon.

With a $150,000 grant from Woolrich, The Conservation Fund “matched” these dollars with federal and foundation funds to advance its protection of key salmon habitat in Alaska.

“We certainly feel that we have a responsibility as a company to support the environment. But for us, it's also personal. As the oldest privately-owned outdoor apparel company in the United States, Woolrich’s roots are in the natural world. Conservation is part of our core and we are committed to ensuring wild places like Southwest Alaska endure and are passed along to future generations.”

- Tim Joseph, Director of Marketing and Media, Woolrich, Inc.

Summary

With support from Woolrich, the Fund is conserving the habitats needed to help salmon thrive in Southwest Alaska. The Fund partners with the state of Alaska and others to purchase and protect strategic tracts of private land or to place conservation easements on that land, limiting development and securing salmon habitat.

Challenge

All five species of Pacific salmon in North America flourish in the great rivers and lakes of Southwest Alaska. Salmon support numerous species of fish and wildlife, sustain local communities and provide cultural, recreational, ecological and commercial benefits to the region and nation. However, vital salmon habitat is at risk from encroaching development.

Solution

Woolrich, a company with a long history of conservation throughout the country, joined The Conservation Fund’s program in Southwest Alaska to safeguard ecosystems, to protect wild salmon, strengthen fisheries, preserve the heritage of the indigenous people and maintain all the benefits that salmon provide.

Results

Woolrich’s support allows the Fund to focus on the most critical rivers and streams in Southwest Alaska that support the world’s largest population of wild salmon, as well as brown bears, caribou and other wildlife. Matching Woolrich’s support with other public and private dollars, the Fund has already protected 78,000 acres along these important waterways.

To help Americans manage their money, financial companies generate significant information—and paper. Account statements and shareholder documents pile up. Now, to cut costs and boost sustainability, forward-thinking financial companies are going “paperless” -- inviting customers to point, click and selectively print information online.

One company found a fresh way to invite clients to go paperless. Ameriprise Financial, a diversified financial services company with financial advisors and representatives nationwide, teamed up with The Conservation Fund to protect key coastal wetlands outside New Orleans. By sharing its story with clients, Ameriprise Financial demonstrated its own commitment to the environment and community—inspiring their loyalty and participation in the campaign to go paperless.

“Environmental awareness goes hand-in-hand with our commitment to support organizations and programs that help build strong, vital communities. We are proud to be part of a partnership that has ensured the protection of this beautiful waterfowl habitat, which also serves as a natural storm surge buffer to portions of the greater New Orleans area.”

- Brian Pietsch, head of community relations, Ameriprise Financial

Summary

In 2008 Ameriprise Financial donated $200,000 to The Conservation Fund, to protect critical coastal wetlands outside New Orleans. The company announced the gift in appreciation for the positive impact clients make when choosing to go paperless.

Challenge

Coastal wetlands harbor wildlife, offer fishing and birding opportunities and, in some locations, act as a buffer from surging waters during storms. Due to development and flood management along the Mississippi River, Louisiana has lost an estimated 1.2 million acres of coastal wetlands--leaving roads, ports, oil and gas pipelines and levees more exposed and vulnerable to storms. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 heightened awareness of coastal wetland loss across the southern U.S.

Outside New Orleans within the Lake Pontchartrain basin, the 23,000-acre Joyce Wildlife Management Area is a rich swamp of cypress-tupelo trees. Alligators, deer, ducks and other wildlife call this area home. Although the state of Louisiana owns much of the land, portions are still privately held. To manage the ecosystem effectively, the state must acquire these in-holdings. These acquisitions can be costly and complex.

Solution

In a time when many corporations are going paperless, Ameriprise Financial sought to distinguish its effort with a tangible commitment to conservation and community. The company’s gift completed the private funding necessary for The Conservation Fund to help the state of Louisiana acquire more than 7,200 acres within the designated wildlife area.

Results

Ameriprise Financial is successfully building its paperless efforts—with real results. Prior to its gift, in 2007, reductions in client mailings saved more than 1,200 tons of paper, equivalent to roughly 20,000 trees. The new effort keeps this momentum going while further establishing the company’s credibility as a corporation that supports communities and the environment.

Visit www.ameriprise.com/paperless to learn more.

The Conservation Fund often works with a Corporate Partner to make the most of its philanthropic investment with a named revolving fund. Through a revolving fund, The Conservation Fund provides bridge financing to protect priority lands through acquisition or conservation easements. Money in the fund is loaned for conservation deals and then “revolves” back into the reserve, to be tapped over and over.

Investments in the revolving fund move roughly three times every five years, creating a fluid source of conservation capital. For Corporate Partners, a named revolving fund is a strategic way to make the biggest possible impact with charitable dollars.

“Environmental stewardship is a responsibility for both the public and private sectors. At ACE, we take this responsibility seriously. Through the ACE Land Legacy Fund, ACE will help protect endangered and other high-priority conservation lands.”

- Evan Greenberg, President and Chief Executive Officer, ACE Limited

Summary

ACE Limited, a global property and casualty insurance and reinsurance organization, partnered with The Conservation Fund to establish the ACE Land Legacy Revolving Fund. With grants totaling more than $500,000, the ACE Land Legacy Fund has protected significant wildlife habitat, expanded public recreation areas and supported local economies across the country.

Challenge

ACE Limited's corporate perspective holds that everyone--individuals and corporations--has a responsibility to the planet. The company sought a philanthropic opportunity to demonstrate its own commitment to promoting a healthy and sustainable environment.

Solution

With a revolving fund, The Conservation Fund is poised to provide immediate capital when large-scale conservation opportunities emerge. A Corporate Partner can direct funds toward top conservation priorities in geographic regions important to employees and customers. These dollars are then leveraged against other conservation sources to protect critical land and water resources--and then ultimately revolved and reinvested, maximizing impact.

Results

Established in 2005, the ACE Land Legacy Fund operates under the umbrella of the Conservation Fund’s Revolving Fund. To date, the ACE Land Legacy Fund has provided bridge financing toward two unprecedented and unique conservation projects in New York and California, achieving dramatic conservation results and bolstering local economies. ACE has now helped to protect more than 275,000 acres of vital land and water habitats valued at more than $92.3 million.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has launched a first-of-its-kind partnership with its customers and The Conservation Fund. One of the country’s largest natural gas and electric utilities, PG&E now offers customers an easy way to fight climate change.

“We’re honored to be making these purchases on behalf of
our ClimateSmart customers. Through their commitment to
the environment, we’ve been able to sequester a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions and protect some of California’s most precious resources.”

- Nancy McFadden, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, PG&E

Summary

In PG&E’s ClimateSmart™ program, customers can choose to offset the greenhouse gas emissions associated with home energy use, adding a small amount to their monthly energy bills. PG&E invests 100% of this customer payment in environmental projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Conservation Fund’s Garcia River Forest is the largest forest-based project supported by ClimateSmart™.

Challenge

Through the Garcia River Forest, located in northern California, the Fund seeks to demonstrate that non-profit ownership and management of forests under sustainable forestry guidelines can be both economically and environmentally beneficial. By selling carbon offsets based on protected trees the Fund can generate revenue to support ongoing forest and stream restoration work and preserve jobs within the community.

Solution

Through ClimateSmart™, PG&E bought 200,000 tons of verified forest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions from Garcia River Forest as part of the largest purchase of greenhouse gas emission reductions in the state of California. ClimateSmart™ funds will support sustainable forest management, protecting trees that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In addition, Garcia River Forest will continue to provide critical wildlife habitat and protect water quality, enhancing climate benefits for both an environmental and economic win.