Wins for
the Planet
225,000+ Acres of federal land around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness protected from mining under the Department of Interior’s 20-year mining ban, thanks in large part to Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness. 25 Alaskan Native villages and communities who call Bristol Bay home. This wild salmon stronghold is protected, for now, from the proposed Pebble Mine. The landmark deci- sion comes after a decade of advocacy from Native communities, outdoor athletes, the commercial fishing industry and Patagonia- supported groups like the United Tribes of Bristol Bay. With this win, they’ve preserved more than 25 million acres of watershed, a $2.2 billion-per-year salmon fishery and over 15,000 jobs. $25 million Awarded to the Newtok Village Council to finish relocating 200 Yup’ik residents, considered by some to be America’s first climate refugees. For decades, the village has endured radical impacts of climate change, including melting permafrost, river erosion and decaying infrastructure.
4 Dams that will be removed along the Klamath River in California and Oregon, the largest dam removal in US history. The removal not only reconnects the watershed and opens more than 400 miles of salmon and steelhead habitat, but it also preserves the physical and spiritual lifeblood of the Yurok and other tribes who have lived on these banks for centuries. 9.3 million Acres of Alaska’s Tongass National Forest restored to Roadless Rule protections, sav- ing Sitka spruce, western hemlock and other old-growth trees from clear-cut logging in the largest temperate rainforest on Earth. The move will also help sequester the equiv- alent of roughly 10 percent of US annual greenhouse gas emissions and preserve land that the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribes have called home for over 10,000 years. 33 Years in the making to protect 1.2 million acres of peatlands in Peninsula Mitre at Argentina’s southernmost tip. The effort, supported by community members, sci- entists, and local and national advocacy groups, protects a massive carbon sink, supports endangered species and preserves significant cultural heritage sites.
118 Miles of Albania’s Vjosa River that’s now a big step closer to permanent protection thanks to the work of the Albanian government and groups like EcoAlbania, Riverwatch and EuroNatur. A decade of organizing, petitioning and protesting resulted in commitments to safeguard one of the continent’s largest wild rivers, its 1,100 animal species and the 100,000 people whose livelihoods, culture and land- scape have been tied to Vjosa for centuries. 18 Years of campaigning, signature-gathering and mobilizing to save Segamizawa, the larg- est green space in Yokohama, Japan, from a massive urban development. Groups like the Hotaru No Furusato Segamizawa Kikin and Kamigo Segami No Shizen Wo Mamoru Kai helped spearhead the movement, which protects this biodiverse green belt and its culturally significant artifacts. 9 Deadbeat dams demolished in Korea, the first milestone of a larger effort to remove 104 derelict dams across the country by 2025. Thanks to Patagonia Korea’s part- nership with the grassroots group Korea Federation for Environmental Movement, more rivers can run free, helping restore watershed ecosystems, improve water quality, and revive wild fisheries and the job opportunities that follow.
Klamath River’s Iron Gate Dam and Reservoir— an emitter of the potent greenhouse gas methane—is soon to be demolished as part of the largest dam removal in US history. Note the bright green hue of the water, the sign of a dangerous algal bloom. California. Courtesy of EcoFlight
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