The National Wildlife Federation Family Expands To Welcome Conservation Northwest

By Casey Skeens for the National Wildlife Federation

Conservation Northwest, based in Washington state, has officially joined the National Wildlife Federation as an affiliate member organization. It was unanimously voted in at the most recent Board of Directors meeting and has officially joined the Federation as of April 18, 2016.

“We’re excited by this new partnership,” said Mitch Friedman, Conservation Northwest founder and Executive Director. “Affiliation with the National Wildlife Federation will further our work of protecting, connecting and restoring the extraordinary wildlife and wildlands of our region. It will help us be stronger and more effective, and we’ll be contributing to the success of the national federation as well.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Conservation Northwest into the National Wildlife Federation family,” said Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Conservation Northwest brings together thousands of Washingtonians from all walks of life in the cause of conservation – stewardship of wildlife and the land and water on which they depend. Together with 50 sister state and territorial affiliate organizations that comprise the National Wildlife Federation, Conservation Northwest will be an essential partner in a nationwide grassroots conservation army that is working hard every day to unifying Americans to ensure wildlife survive and thrive.”

Based in Bellingham, Washington with offices around the state, Conservation Northwest connects landscapes, restores wildlife, and protects core habitat in Washington state and British Columbia. The organization’s programs include restoring grizzly bear habitat in southwest British Columbia, helping establish wildlife crossings over and under Washington highways, ensuring north-central Washington’s working ranch lands support both local economies and wildlife, fostering co-existence between wolves and livestock, restoring wildlife such as fishers and North Cascades grizzlies, providing citizen science wildlife monitoring data, advocating for sustainable forest management, and protecting wildlands through wilderness and other designations.

Conservation Northwest will be joining the Northern Rockies and Pacific Region, working alongside affiliates from California, Hawaii, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Affiliates in each region work together and with partners to advance conservation and protection of each region’s unique natural treasures.

“I have admired the great work of Conservation Northwest for years and I am really pleased they are joining with NWF as our affiliate in Washington State. The future is bright and I look forward to working with the entire Conservation Northwest team,” said Tom France, NWF Northern Rockies, Prairies and Pacific regional executive director.

Founded in 1989, Conservation Northwest is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with 9,000 supporters and members that protects, connects together, and re-wilds large natural areas in the Pacific Northwest for the benefit of people and wildlife. The organization has won protections for millions of acres of wildlife habitat, led successful campaigns to purchase tens of thousands of acres of land for permanent protection, and connected once-fragmented landscapes in which wildlife like lynx, caribou, wolverines and bears can again freely roam. Using conservation biology and a collaborative approach, Conservation Northwest helps keep the Northwest wild.