Icebreaker has joined The Conservation Alliance, a group of outdoor industry companies that donate their collective annual membership dues to grassroots conservation organizations working to protect wildlands and waterways for their recreational and habitat values.
Since its founding, the Alliance has contributed almost $9 million to conservation projects throughout North America. organization said the results have been “remarkable”: their grants have helped organizations protect more than 50.5 million acres of land, stop or remove 28 dams, and preserve access to thousands of miles of rivers and several climbing areas.
“Caring for the environment is one of Icebreaker’s top priorities, and we are thrilled to be joining The Conservation Alliance in their important work of protecting the natural spaces through some of the most compelling conservation projects in North America,” said Lisa Thompson, Icebreaker’s president of U.S. operations. “Like the merino wool used to make all of our apparel, the Alliance is about nature and sustainability, and becoming a member was a natural decision for us.”
As a Conservation Alliance member, Icebreaker will be able to nominate environmental organizations for funding consideration, and to vote on which organizations should be supported each funding cycle.
In 2010, The Conservation Alliance contributed $900,000 through 32 grants to organizations working to protect wild places. These organizations and their projects included: the Alaska Wilderness League, to encourage President Obama to designate the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a National Monument; Oregon Natural Desert Organization, to secure permanent wilderness protection for more than 116,400 acres along the lower John Day River and over 30 miles of Wild & Scenic River designated in the John Day Basin; and Winter Wildlands Alliance, to permanently protect Yellowstone National Park's magical and fragile winter ecosystem from the noise and exhaust of snowmobiles and, and to secure balanced winter use plans for Mount Jefferson, Togwotee Pass and Tumalo Mountain.
