None The Nature Conservancy in Wyoming Press Releases Search All Press Releases Pam Dewell Phone: (307) 335-2133 E-mail: pdewell@tnc.org

Nature Conservancy to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

Lander, WY — October 22, 2001 — The Nature Conservancy, the organization known for protecting nature’s Last Great Places, will celebrate its 50 anniversary October 22, 2001.

Dedicated to preserving the lands and waters that harbor the world’s array of plant and animal species, a small group of scientists founded the Conservancy in 1951, and soon set a precedent of taking direct action for conservation by purchasing and protecting 60 acres of land in New York. The Conservancy has remained true to its founders’ vision, and now has protected more than 12 million acres in the United States, and helped protect more than 80 million acres in 28 other countries across the rest of the Americas, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. In sum, the Conservancy now has helped protect more than 92 million acres, an area greater than three times the size of the entire state of New York.

In Wyoming the Conservancy began with conservation easement on the Skyline Ranch in 1974 and since has protected a total of 406,000 acres. “The Nature Conservancy is committed to working in partnership with Wyoming people to ensure that as long as there is a human civilization our lives will be enhanced by the protection of the full variety of life on earth. Wild spaces and working places are vital to our spiritual, physical and economic well being. Wyoming landowners have provided great leadership in creating an outstanding biological legacy for our children’s future,” said Dave Neary, Wyoming State Director.

The Conservancy uses science to identify conservation priorities, and then works in a collaborative and non-confrontational way to achieve tangible, lasting results in the protection of these places. Although the Conservancy is perhaps best known for its outright purchases of ecologically important areas, it now employs a wide array of additional conservation tools, from conservation easements, which allow private land owners protect their property, to the negotiation of innovative agreements with private companies and government agencies.

As part of its effort to protect vital habitats, the Conservancy’s work in the United States has led to the creation of a network of more than 1,400 nature preserves that are enjoyed by thousands of visitors each year.

“The Nature Conservancy will continue to move forward eagerly and with confidence, inspired by the importance of the mission and propelled by the success of the past,” said Steve McCormick, president and CEO of the Conservancy.