Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, leader of Tompkins Conservation, today signed a pledge to dramatically expand national parkland in Chile by approximately 11 million acres. The proposal represents the largest land donation in history from a private entity to a country; the area to be protected is three times the size of Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks combined.
 
This proposal will help create the “Route of Parks,” a 17-park network spanning more than 1,500 miles from Puerto Montt to Cape Horn that Chilean citizens, nature lovers, global adventurers and tourists from around the world can enjoy. The Route will safeguard Patagonia’s wilderness and provide a boon to economic development in the South of Chile, with the potential to generate US$270 million in annual, ecotourism-related revenue and employ up to 43,000 people in the region.

Blu Skye is proud to support Tompkins Conservation and our other clients in things that we can touch, taste and feel.

photograph on right by Jimmy Chin

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To celebrate this historic event, former Blu Skye team members Zach Winters interviewed Erin Billman on the significance of this announcement. Listen on iTunes using this button, or on the SoundCloud player below.