Inside Philanthropy on the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Impact on Climate-Conscious Conservation in the South
The Southern Cumberland Plateau is a rugged landscape of ancient rock and hardwood forest in the Appalachian Mountains that’s home to an extraordinary number of plant and animal species. It’s also considered a resilient landscape, meaning even as the climate changes, the plateau can provide sturdy refuge for a wide range of plants and animals.
That makes it a critical and time-sensitive site for conservation efforts, sitting right at the intersection of land protection and climate change.
In an impressive case study of funders and stakeholders aligning to secure an environmental win, a coalition of regional and national foundations and a climate-savvy conservation nonprofit mobilized $36 million in private and public funds. The ongoing effort has protected more than 30,000 acres in the Southern Cumberlands, and it all unfolded in the conservative state of Tennessee.
“The pace of conservation has more than doubled in the region, largely because of the philanthropic funds that have been the impetus for other significant public and private investment,” said Peter Howell, executive vice president of Conservation Capital and Research Programs at the Open Space Institute, the nonprofit that’s facilitating the effort.
A group of foundations with varied priorities first seeded the intensified conservation effort with $6 million, which then led to an additional $30 million in Tennessee state funds, federal funds, and other private donations.
The pooled effort is a different kind of story than a lot of headline-grabbing land protection wins, which frequently involve a wealthy outdoor enthusiast buying up a big chunk of land. The campaign also provides some insights into how environmentalists are securing common ground with a mix of donors and stakeholders, even in a tough political landscape.
The biggest national player involved in the effort is the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, which has carved out a philanthropic niche around the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and wildlife habitat. Land use in the context of climate, overall, has been a big focus for philanthropy, including keeping landscapes intact as a way to sequester carbon, and protecting critical areas as climate impacts worsen. Last week, nine foundations, including Doris Duke, pledged $459 million to support forests and indigenous land rights as a way to mitigate climate change...