Salmon fishing on the Oregon Coast. Photo courtesy of the Wild Salmon Center.

Goal: Conserving the Western United States and Canada for wildlife and people

The Hewlett Foundation envisions an ecologically vibrant West where the landscape is unspoiled and people and wildlife thrive. We invest in a range of efforts to help build broad-based support for conservation and ensure that Western ecosystems and species thrive. With an eye to the effects of climate change, and respect for sustainable human uses, the Foundation seeks to fund organizations working to protect land and rivers that are essential to healthy biodiversity and ensure their continuing protection by building broad-based support for conservation among key constituencies in the West.

We support four key strategies designed to achieve that goal across 12 Western states and 3 Canadian provinces:

Land
Protect large open spaces

Water
Restore river flows and conserve areas near rivers and streams

Energy
Reduce fossil fuel development and increase energy efficiency and renewable energy sources

Broad-based Support
Build broad-based support for land, water, and energy goals among key stakeholders

The natural splendor, biodiversity, and traditional livelihoods of the West are in danger.

Population growth, mining, drilling, clear cutting, and climate change create challenges that can only be countered with new and responsible stewardship. The Hewlett Foundation funds effective action based on its deep experience in North American conservation.

The open spaces of the West are deeply embedded in our heritage, our culture, and our way of life. For centuries, the West has provided open land, economic resources, natural beauty, and, often, a fresh start in life. The magnificence and scale of the western landscape have both humbled and empowered generations of Americans and Canadians. However, centuries of mining, drilling, and clear cutting, and a rapidly expanding human population have taken a harsh toll on the West.

The Environment Program accepts Letters of Inquiry for Western Conservation grants. For more information, please click here.