None The Nature Conservancy in Mongolia Press Releases Search All Press Releases Delgerma Zagd Telephone: 70118526 E-mail: dzagd@tnc.org

Agreement Signed to Protect Mongolia's Eastern Steppe

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia — August 26, 2008 — The Mongolia program offices of The Nature Conservancy, World Wide Fund for Nature, and The Wildlife Conservation Society signed a memorandum of understanding, entering the parties into a conservation collaboration agreement.

The three conservation organizations share a common interest to improve coordination and establish a long-term biodiversity conservation plan for Mongolia’s Eastern Steppe, known as Zuun Bus, consisting of the three aimags, Khentii, Dornod and Suhkbaatar. Zuun Bus is recognized as the largest, most intact grassland in the world with a wide range of unique species, particularly Mongolian gazelle, and high quality fresh and brackish wetlands that form the upper watershed of the Amur River, the Eastern Hemisphere’s longest free-flowing river.

The memorandum was signed by country directors Enkhtuya Oidov of TNC, Chimed-Ochir Bazarsad of WWF, and Amanda Fine of WCS. As well, staff members from the three organizations were present for the memorandum reading, signing, and luncheon to celebrate.

The memorandum outlined TNC, WCS, and WWF’s desire to work together to present a coordinated program of work that establishes geographic priorities, maximizes conservation impact, and reduces the duplication of efforts among partners and donors by collaborating on project planning, formulation and implementation. It is agreed that greater synergy can be achieved through collaboration in areas of mutual interest by leveraging individual resources and capacities, skills, and expertise.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.