• Public Finance for Land Conservation. Some of the most spectacular and ecologically significant lands needing protection in the West belong to ranchers and other private interests. While land acquisitions are perhaps the most permanent way to protect private land from development, the philanthropic leverage of this type of investment can be small. An encouraging recent trend has been the development of public policies encouraging and financing conservation.  We will continue to support efforts to generate public dollars for the protection of critical natural resources.

• Western Water Reform. Water is the lifeblood of the West. Good laws and incentives can ensure that enough water is available to keep natural systems intact. By skillfully engaging in water law and transfer trends already under way, Hewlett Foundation grantees can build the basis for better water management.

• Fossil-Fuel Development. Energy development is the biggest threat to the West right now. We need to set standards regarding where and under what conditions energy can be extracted. At the same time, it is important to deploy a complementary strategy to promote renewable, homegrown, clean energy supplies that can help the West—a renewable-resource-rich region—become cleaner, more independent, and healthier. 

• Wilderness and Roadless Areas. There are still vast tracts of roadless areas in the West, both in the U.S. and in Canada. As more and more of the public landscape is developed and degraded, the ecological significance of large wilderness and roadless areas becomes that much more important. Protecting these increasingly rare landscapes will require permanent, legal designation.

• Impacts of Motorized Recreation. As the population surges in western states, so too do the recreational impacts on public lands. Of all forms of recreation, off-road-vehicle use is one of the most damaging. While there are some areas on public lands appropriate for this type of use, there are many other areas that are not. Creating basic environmental standards for use of ORVs on public lands will result in healthier ecosystems and reduce the number of conflicts between user groups (bikers, hikers, equestrians).

Please note we do not fund the following:

• Environmental Education
• Forest Monitoring
• Habitat Restoration
• Land Acquisition
• Marine Conservation
• Renewable Energy Equipment Purchases
• Sustainable Forestry Projects
• Watershed Organizing
• Watershed Restoration
• Wildfire Management Work
• Conservation Easements
• Book writing and publication

Our Approach | Our Strategy | Grant Guidelines