Tompkins Conservation has committed to delivering the largest land donation in history: 4.4 million hectares, transformed into national parks.
It was certainly one of the dreams of Douglas Tompkins and his wife Kristine McDivitt to create one of the largest protected areas in the world, in order to halt the loss of biodiversity. And with this final gesture, the Tompkins Conservation foundation has achieved that goal. On 15 March it donated 4.4 million hectares of land to the Chilean government, which will be used to create 5 new national parks. Three times the combined size of Yosemite and Yellowstone.
This is the largest land donation by a private body to a country. "I wish my husband Doug, whose dream inspired today's agreement, could be here on this memorable day," said Kristine McDivitt Tompkins. "I know that if Doug were here today, he would say that national parks are the greatest expression of democracy that a nation can achieve, protecting a nation's masterpieces for all its citizens."
National parks are the greatest expression of democracy that a nation can achieve.
A historic donation, which will serve to extend the protected area of Pumalin Park and Patagonia Park and to expand the protected surface of three other parks. "We are leaving to the country the largest creation of protected areas in our history," said President Bachelet after signing the agreement.
He was the founder of North Face and a close friend of Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia. Together they shared the same values: a passionate love of nature and the determination to do ever more to protect it. Successful entrepreneurs who gave a great deal — a very great deal — to create nature reserves and natural parks. So much so that today, thanks also to the work of his wife Kristine, Tompkins Conservation is known as a leader in nature restoration and conservation projects, reintroducing ecosystem services to areas degraded by human activity.
Thanks to this agreement, a single large network of 17 parks stretching from Cape Horn to Puerto Montt will be created. The Route of Parks will protect biodiversity in Patagonia and provide a resource for the economic development of southern Chile. It is estimated that the economic benefits brought by sustainable tourism could generate revenues of 250 million euros a year and work for 43,000 people. A great gesture that concerns us all, made by people deeply in love with the planet.