The Nature Conservancy Hires Renowned Conservationist

JACKSON, WY— June 25, 2007— After directing the Izaak Walton League of America, one of the nation’s largest sportsmen’s groups, conservationist Paul Hansen has joined The Nature Conservancy as the director of the Greater Yellowstone Program. Hansen will charge the organization’s work in the expansive 28-million acre Greater Yellowstone area, one of the world’s most intact ecosystems and an area of critical biodiversity.

Hansen says his job will be to build on the work The Nature Conservancy and others have done during the past 50 years in the Greater Yellowstone region. “Today, The Nature Conservancy and others carry on a tradition of inspired altruism. We strive to protect this place for its own sake, for the creatures that live here, for the way of life and economy of the region, for future generations, and to set an example for the rest of the world.”

During his long career in conservation, Hansen has worked closely with land trusts, environmental groups, sportsmen organizations, governments, and business interests. He is one of the first conservationists to sit on the board of a Fortune 500 public company and says that collaboration will be the key to achieving success in the Greater Yellowstone, where the population is growing at almost twice the national rate.

Paul Hansen, The Nature Conservancy's new Greater Yellowstone Program Director © Paul Hansen

“In my experience, mission success on any issue or in any region is strongly correlated with the diversity of supporters and their ability to cooperate.” Hansen will continue the Conservancy’s role as part of a collaborative group called “The Heart of the Rockies,” which includes several regional land trusts.

Through a scientific planning process, The Nature Conservancy has identified 2.8 million acres of unprotected land in the Greater Yellowstone that they believe are critical to the ecosystem’s long-term integrity. Over the next 10 years, the Conservancy has its sights set on protecting one million of these biologically-important acres. Hansen says voluntary conservation agreements, federal legislation and local initiatives are some of the conservation tools he will employ to get the job done.

“This region faces a greater combination of threats from a greater number of sources than ever before,” says Hansen, noting in particular fragmentation and poorly-planned development, invasive species, energy development, and the impacts of climate change. “Dealing with any one of these would be difficult. In combination, they make our challenge difficult and our cause urgent,” he says.

Hansen is an avid upland bird hunter, wilderness canoeist, whitewater rafter, and angler. His professional background includes helping form the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and working for the Canadian government on trans-boundary conservation issues. He has served on the boards of the League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Council of America, the National Conservation Leadership Institute, and Americans for Our Heritage and Recreation. He also helped form the American Wildlife Conservation Partners of leading hunter conservationist groups.

“I could not be more excited by the opportunity to direct the Conservancy's Greater Yellowstone program,” says Hansen. “I think I have the best job in conservation – in the best place and with the best organization. I look forward to 10 years from now, celebrating the fact that we worked with others to protect one million acres of the Greater Yellowstone.”

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.