COALITION OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL GROUPS LAUNCH FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT ‘YOSEMITE OF SOUTH AMERICA’ FOREVER

Photo by Rodrigo Manns.

A view of Mount Trinidad during a break in the rain. Cochamo, Chile_November 2019.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Tania Garimani, [email protected]; Ernesto Escobar, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Led by Chilean NGO Puelo Patagonia, the campaign Conserva Puchegüín is working urgently to raise $78 million to purchase and protect 325,000 acres in Chilean Patagonia.

The campaign has two years to raise the money needed to protect the Cochamó Valley, also known as the "Yosemite of South America" by rock climbers around the globe. The area features thousand-meter granite walls, glacier-crowned peaks, rivers, plunging waterfalls and massive groves of alerce trees, plus endangered and endemic species, and many small communities with traditional ways of life.

Puelo Patagonia and The Nature Conservancy have entered into a purchase option agreement with the current landowner to acquire and protect Hacienda Puchegüín, 325,000 acres of land in Chilean Patagonia that includes the Cochamó Valley. The agreement gives the conservationists two years to raise the money to purchase the land.

Initial donations have been secured by Freyja Foundation and Wyss Foundation, but the campaign still needs to raise approximately $63 million. Outdoor apparel company Patagonia Inc. has been supporting Puelo Patagonia through its 1% for the Planet environmental grants program since 2016, and the company's nonprofit, the Holdfast Collective, has recently expressed interest in joining the campaign.

Hacienda Puchegüín caught the attention of conservation organizations when it was listed for sale in 2022 through Christie's auction house in New York. Despite being surrounded by over 4,000,000 acres of Chilean and Argentine parks, reserves and nature sanctuaries, the property is exposed to a variety of threats, such as land fragmentation, that have endangered the area. Thus, the acquisition of Puchegüín represents not only an opportunity to protect the region's ecological and cultural heritage, but also to ensure the integrity of one of the most important biological corridors in Latin America.

"We are a group of organizations that share a dream: We want to conserve this critical land for its immense environmental and cultural value," said Andrés Diez, executive director of Puelo Patagonia. "For years, Puchegüín was threatened by projects with a different vision than the one held by the local community. This campaign is just the beginning of an even bigger project-a unique opportunity for Cochamó, the country and the world."

"The Wyss Foundation is proud to pledge the first major gift in support of permanently protecting Hacienda Puchegüín," said Molly McUsic, president of the Wyss Foundation. "The region signifies not only an immense stretch of land crucial to the environment and biodiversity of the Cochamó region of Chilean Patagonia, but a haven for the local communities who are active stewards of this conservation project. Protecting Hacienda Puchegüín will mean saving endangered species of wildlife and preserving the cultural value of thousands of hectares of land. We are thankful for the partnership of Freyja Foundation, Puelo Patagonia, The Nature Conservancy and Patagonia in this endeavor, and encourage others to join in this effort to ensure Hacienda Puchegüín receives the permanent protection it deserves."

"While our 2023 acquisition secured a critical 309-hectare property near Cochamo's entrance, Freyja's vision extends far beyond this initial success. Puchegüín represents a much larger, environmentally significant area within the greater Cochamó Valley," said Anne Deane, president of the Freyja Foundation. "Protecting this area is not just about safeguarding a one-off property; it's a crucial step towards ensuring the ecological health of Patagonia as a whole. True conservation thrives on a holistic approach, one that considers interconnected ecosystems and the long-term well-being of the entire region. This philosophy guided our strategic land purchase last year, and it continues to fuel our ongoing efforts. We're actively working to inspire further action and involvement, fostering a collaborative effort to secure Puchegüín's future for the benefit of Chile and the world."

"Our five organizations-Puelo Patagonia, The Nature Conservancy, Freyja Foundation, Wyss Foundation and Patagonia, Inc.-are bound by the common goal of protecting Cochamó forever, and we look forward to finding even more like-minded organizations to join us over the coming months and years," said Alex Perry, general manager of Latin America for Patagonia, Inc. "If we are successful, and I am confident we will be, not only will more than 300,000 acres of threatened land and water be protected, but we will have created an enduring example of how large-scale, community led yet globally collaborative conservation projects can be successful."

Photo by Catalina Claro.

Miguel Boehm (@negroffwidth) climbing the route "between crystals and condors" on the wall of time, in the amphitheatre.

Notes to editor

About Puchegüín: a place of major ecological value

· The Puchegüín area, globally renowned for its natural beauty and geological magnificence, encompasses over 58,000 hectares of primary forest-a critical resource that's rapidly vanishing across the globe. Within this vast expanse are 18,000 hectares of endangered alerce trees, a species recognized for its longevity, that represents roughly 10% of Chile's alerce habitat. These temperate forests play a pivotal role in transforming the region into a climate refuge, boasting the continent's second-largest carbon sink. Chilean Patagonia's vast forest cover, peatlands and wetlands collectively store approximately twice the amount of carbon per hectare compared to the Amazon.

· Puchegüín also encompasses an enormous reserve of freshwater and provides critical habitat for other endangered and endemic species such as Darwin's frog, the huemul, the Patagonian vizcacha and the monito del monte-one of South America's few marsupials.

· Puchegüín is also home to a unique mountain community with a deeply rooted Gaucho culture, characterized by horsemanship, agrarianism and small-scale livestock farming. This initiative seeks to develop a sustainable economic growth system that will support-not destroy-local traditions, culture and ways of life. Building from Puelo Patagonia's local expertise and experience, Conserva Puchegüín not only focuses on the needs of the local communities as the foundation for all kinds of development, but also actively seeks their involvement. Conserva Puchegüín respects these communities' long and successful tenure as stewards of this land and recognizes their presence as a defense against irresponsible and unsustainable future development.

· Purchasing this property will generate a unique opportunity to develop a local economic model based on conservation and ecotourism, which will foster the types of sustainable businesses and trades linked to any new protected area-with the anticipated result being a reduction in poverty, an improvement of wellbeing and a strengthening of the community's social fabric.

About Conserva Puchegüín: a unique alliance with a modern vision for conservation

· As far back as early 2010, NGOs in the Cochamó region have successfully halted high-impact projects slated for this private property.

· Hacienda Puchegüín's 2022 sale listing sparked concern amongst local communities and conservation groups who have long protected the area, inciting fear that a new owner may lack the knowledge or respect for the territory and its people.

· Conserva Puchegüín was formed to fight this possibility. This alliance combines the deep knowledge and local experience of Puelo Patagonia with the global perspective and proven success in large-scale conservation and fundraising projects of The Nature Conservancy, Freyja Foundation, Patagonia, Inc. and Wyss Foundation.

· Conserva Puchegüín is now launching an international fundraising campaign. Alongside international outreach, the alliance will continue to center local community members and authorities, encouraging their active participation and engagement in project design and planning.

About Puelo Patagonia

Puelo Patagonia is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting the natural and cultural heritage of the Cochamó region in Chilean Patagonia. Over the past ten years, we have carried out numerous projects directly related to local environmental problems, collecting relevant scientific research, and providing legal tools to help protect the pristine ecosystems of Cochamó, and the communities that live there. In 2023, we achieved one of our greatest victories-the declaration of the Cochamó Valley Nature Sanctuary-which protected 11,400 hectares of invaluable wilderness under Chilean law in perpetuity. We have also worked hand in hand with the people of Cochamó to undertake a number of projects, including: 1) creating sustainable limits for mass tourism; 2) monitoring native flora and fauna; 3) implementing a rural volunteer program; and 4.) petitioning the Chilean government to declare the Puelo River a Water Reserve-which, when successful, will be a first of its kind designation in Chile. For more information about Puelo Patagonia, visit www.puelopatagonia.cl or @puelopatagonia on Instagram.

About The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, practical solutions to our world's most pressing challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans on an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably, and helping to make cities more sustainable. We work in 77 countries and territories: 41 through direct conservation impact and 36 through partners, using a collaborative approach involving local communities, governments, the private sector and other partners. For more information about TNC's work in Chile, visit www.nature.org/chile or @tnc_chile on X and Instagram.

About Freyja Foundation

Freyja Foundation is an international private, charitable organization dedicated to developing and supporting innovative, scalable, and lasting conservation solutions that protect wild places and combat the climate crisis. Its work integrates protecting existing at-threat carbon sinks, re-establishing biodiversity, and empowering local communities. Freyja Foundation began supporting conservation in Chile in 2018. In 2023, as part of a larger effort to protect the Cochamó Valley, the foundation purchased a critical 309-hectare property of high ecological and cultural value in the region, which will be committed to conservation. For more information on Freyja Foundation, visit www.freyjafoundation.org or @freyja_foundation on Instagram.

About Patagonia, Inc.

We're in business to save our home planet. Founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973, Patagonia is an outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. As a certified B Corporation and a founding member of 1% for the Planet, the company is recognized internationally for its product quality and environmental activism, as well as its contributions of more than $230 million to environmental organizations. Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid as dividends to protect the planet.

About Wyss Foundation
Wyss Foundation is a private, charitable foundation dedicated to supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land. Since its establishment in 1998, it has helped governments, Indigenous communities, and other charitable organizations protect more than 100 million acres of land and more than 3 million square kilometers of ocean. These lands and waters are now conserved in perpetuity for current and future generations to enjoy and explore. Wyss Foundation leverages the expertise of grantees to establish partnerships with like-minded organizations and accelerate conservation efforts. For more information about the Wyss Foundation, visit www.wyssfoundation.org or follow @WyssFoundation on Twitter/X.

Photos for PR usage here.

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