The Wilderness Society
Uniting people to protect America's wild places
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Climate Solutions on U.S. Public Lands
Our Climate Solutions program leverages the potential of U.S. public lands to help solve the climate crisis, and doing so in a way that equitably benefits all people. Fossil fuel extraction on U.S. public lands contributes 24% of U.S. annual greenhouse gas emissions (more than all but five countries!) To reduce these climate emissions to net zero by 2030, we work with communities and public officials to shift the priority of U.S. public land managers from resource extraction to protecting the climate and biodiversity. The U.S. can and must reduce carbon emissions by phasing out coal, oil and gas on federal public lands; 2) increase renewable energy development responsibly; 3) expand carbon capture by protecting old growth forests; 4) mitigate negative impacts on communities dependent on fossil fuel industry.
Fighting the Climate, Extinction and Equity Crises through Landscape Conservation
We are catalyzing the creation of a network of resilient landscapes that will sustain human well-being and ecological integrity in the face of the climate and extinction crises--and provide more equitable access to nature and its benefits for all people. Using science, traditional knowledge and long-term partnerships, we assist communities in our priority landscapes to create landscape conservation plans that leverage their strengths and meet their needs to protect their health, clean water, clean air and expand access to nature for all; while conserving habitat for wildlife and bolstering the communities' resilience in the face of a changing climate. Working with many other groups, private landowners, and government at all level we aim to conserve and connect large landscapes (e.g., one-10 million acres) that will allow species to migrate in order to adapt to climate change.
Building and Activating a More Inclusive Conservation Movement
Historically, the conservation movement in the U.S. has been dominated by people of European-American descent. We recognize the moral (and practical) imperative of supporting the participation of people of all identities in decision-making and advocacy around addressing the climate and extinction crises, the use and management of public lands and connection to nature. To that end, in all of our work, we aim to advocate for solutions that value and protect the lands, cultures, traditional knowledge, interests and concerns of Black peoples, Indigenous peoples, and people of color to support the health and well-being of these communities and promote the healing of historic relationships to nature and place.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Wildlands Designations
- Maximize use of Executive authority under Antiquities Act to protect 3 million acres of landscape scale National Monuments
- Secure enduring conservation management of 6 million acres of public lands via land use plans
- Secure 1 million acres of wilderness and other legislative protections in priority landscapes.
Guided Energy
- Create new paradigm for energy development on public lands that includes new policy directives and place-based approaches that require agencies to manage for enduring conservation in conjunction with development
- Protect 20 million acres of public land by guiding energy development away from high value wildlands
- Facilitate renewable energy siting and development on appropriate federal lands to move toward outcome of 20,000 MW of renewable energy developed on public lands by 2020
National Constituency Building
- Connect 13 million Americans to the land through developing strategic national partnerships with experiential providers, corporations, diverse and youth organizations, and other strategic political partners, and through digital outreach, membership recruitment and marketing. Convert these people into active supporters of wild places through advocacy, philanthropy, online and marketing efforts, and TWS membership
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Wildlands Designations
Develop new, transformative legislative and administrative strategies at national level that will serve as a catalyst for scaling up permanent protection efforts; Complete ongoing congressional designation and executive designations such as use of the Antiquities Act to permanently protect 6 -11 million acres; Pursue administrative protections such as recommended wilderness on Forest Service lands, WSAs on BLM or additions to wildlife refuges for 5-6 million acres, which will serve as areas for potential future permanent designation; Defend the current system against ongoing threats that would degrade the core upon which we are building, especially the unprecedented legislative attack on our public lands; Develop and implement landscape-level approaches to wildland conservation in selected landscapes that address climate change adaptation; Increase support and leverage for wildands designations by promoting policies on recreation al use and enjoyment of wildands
Guided Energy
Guide energy development away from wildlands using Smart from the Start planning, with a focus on ensuring the successful adoption of the Solar PEIS as a precedent for the siting of all major energy sources on public lands; Develop and implement a transformative approach to leveraging conservation benefits and mitigation requirements at both the project level and the agency planning level; Integrate our energy work into our land conservation work so that we are aligned culturally and across our priority landscape; Use our proactive energy work to broaden the public’s understanding of TWS’s relevance to solving America’s biggest problems
National Constituency Building
Mobilize emerging and influential constituencies to change the national conservation dynamic; Mobilize on-the-ground communities of landscape conservation supporters that drive political power and on the ground support to advance local protection efforts; Build the Wilderness brand, extending our reach through strategic partnerships and celebrity voices, while optimizing digital channels to activate strong revenue streams and membership; Drive a national campaign that positions wilderness and wild lands more broadly relative to the needs of the broader audiences – connecting on “their terms” versus “our terms”
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Wildlands Designations - TWS has been at the forefront of major public lands issues, utilizing its strength of sound research, focused and strategic advocacy and an ability to drive strong and diverse on-the-ground partnerships to successfully drive permanent protections.
Guided Energy - TWS brings the highest level of expertise to driving energy development away from core wildlands
National Constituency Building - TWS pursues a compelling mission coupled with the ability to reach and activate
National and local audiences to protect wild places
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Leveraging the Administration’s focus on large landscape protection, such as in our newest national monuments: Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico San Juan Islands National Monument, Washington State - See more at: http://wilderness.org/article/win-wildlands-president-obama-designates-five-new-national-monuments#sthash.3VXtb7zI.dpuf
Increasing local interest and collaboration around landscape conservation, such as for Browns Canyon in Colorado. See more at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PweDUWiDU6U
Realizing heightened public awareness of energy issues and preference for finding long term renewable energy solutions as a means to further build and engage our constituency, such as in the Public Lands Renewable Energy Development Act. See more at http://wilderness.org/article/PLREDA
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
The Wilderness Society
Board of directorsas of 07/27/2023
Mr. Michael Mantell
Resources Law Group
Term: 2025 - 2022
Rue Mapp
Outdoor Afro
Term: 2022 - 2025
Molly McUsic
The Wyss Foundation
William J. Cronon
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hansjorg Wyss
Synthes, Inc.
David Bonderman
TPG
Thomas A. Barron
Christopher J. Elliman
Open Space Institute
David J. Field
Entercom Communications Corp.
Caroline M. Getty
Kevin Luzak
ArcherPoint
Michael Mantell
Resources Law Group, LLP
Jaime Pinkham
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
Rebecca L. Rom
National Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters
Theodore Roosevelt
Barclay's Capital Corporation
Cathy Douglas Stone
Environmental Services, Boston Mayor's Office
Carl Ferenbach
Berkshire Partners
David Churchill
Morrison & Foerster
Gregg Sherrill
Tenneco
Jennifer Speers
Palladium Foundation
Juan Martinez
Fresh Tracks of Aspen Institute
Martinique Grigg
Grant Peak Capital
Norm Christensen
Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University
Jacqueline Mars
Mars Inc. (retired)
Rue Mapp
Outdoor Afro
Dave Matthews
Dave Matthews Band
August Ball
Cream City Conservation
Faith Briggs Rose
film-maker
Daniel Cordalis
Colorado River Sustainability Campaign
Jim Enote
Colorado Plateau Foundation
Lisa Keith
EDF, retired
Jeffrey Rhodes
TPG
Aaron Wernham
Montana Healthcare Foundation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data