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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 29, 2018 - 05:42pm PT
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January 29, 2018 — Patagonia Park, Chile
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, President and CEO of Tompkins Conservation, today signed the decrees creating Pumalín National Park and Patagonia National Park Chile. The one million acres and world-class infrastructure they contain have been billed as the largest donation of land from a private entity to a country.
This marks the culmination of the pledge that President Michelle Bachelet and Kristine McDivitt Tompkins signed in March 2017 to create a network of five new national parks in Chile and the expansion of three others. Together, they are adding a total of more than 10 million acres of new national parklands to Chile, with one million acres of land from Tompkins Conservation and an additional 9 million acres of federal land from Chile. For scale, that is more than three times the size of Yosemite and Yellowstone combined, or approximately the size of the country of Switzerland.
http://www.tompkinsconservation.org/news/2018/01/29/president-of-chile-and-ceo-of-tompkins-conservation-sign-decrees-creating-10-million-acres-of-new-national-parks/
Of course due credit goes to Doug Tomkins & Kris McDivett Tomkins for having the foresight, energy & money to buy up some key areas that help to form the cores of those new National Parks.
Sigh.
U.S. leadership & the conservation movements in more progressive countries, do seem to be going in different directions.
And of course, our "old" friend Donini has his wintertime bivy situated on a scenic lake just north of the new Patagonia Park. What a fox he is!
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thebravecowboy
climber
The Good Places
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Jan 29, 2018 - 05:43pm PT
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When I see smog, I know someone's making money. what a waste. ;-)
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Jan 29, 2018 - 06:07pm PT
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What a wonderful legacy to leave behind, such foresight and generosity.
I hope to enjoy it some day!
Hard to comprehend what a gift this is.
How rare it is for people to have the ability to garner so much wealth,
and the disposition to share it.
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
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Jan 29, 2018 - 07:56pm PT
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Wasn't he the conservationist that started the North Face? Also, died a year or so back? Great man, from the looks of it.
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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 29, 2018 - 08:32pm PT
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originalpmac! Re your question/comment:
Wasn't he the conservationist that started the North Face? Also, died a year or so back? Great man, from the looks of it.
I am not an expert on Doug Tomkin's history. I do think he was one of several that started The North Face, but the big-money came from he & his ex-wife's gains from starting & then selling Esprit Clothing.
Here's Wikipedia's history on the subject.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Tompkins
He died after high winds upset his kayak in an arm of the lake Donini has his bivy cottage on, in Dec. 2015.
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Jan 29, 2018 - 08:39pm PT
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wasn't he the guy whos private property was so large it cut the country I n half?
wonder what percentage of all that he donated...
And what privilege of it of yours to ask? They bought it up for the express purpose of protecting it from exploitation and turning it over to the country.
I'm sure you think you demonstrate intellectualism with your smug attempt at pulling someone down who has done something good. It speaks only of you.
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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 29, 2018 - 08:53pm PT
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I toured some of Doug & Kris Tomkin's vast holdings in Chile in 2013 with Angela Donini & their land buys have been well publicized & hated by corporations that wanted to log & exploit them. They received death threats for what they were trying to save.
I'm sure that Kris McDivett Tomkins has retained some land, but from the start, their plan was to preserve pristine & scenic ecosystems in Chile & western Argentina from exploitation.
They are heroes to many, including me.
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
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Jan 29, 2018 - 09:26pm PT
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Fritz, thank you for the reply. I think it is great this land was set aside for preservation. Top notch act.
Comparing it to landholdings of Israelis and Bush's is absurd to say the least.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 29, 2018 - 09:35pm PT
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It’s not all peaches and cream in Chile. Only today Tesla announced they had struck a deal
to muliply production of lithium in the Atacama and that is some nasty stuff.
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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 29, 2018 - 09:50pm PT
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I am impressed with the ability of some posters on ST to bring up a negative side to a wonderful moment, when a 3rd world country like Chile commits to new National Park protection for 10 millions acres (an area larger than Yosemite & Yellowstone Parks combined).
Yes Reilly! Per your mention about Chile ramping up Lithium production in the Atacama desert! It's good to share your concerns rather than celebrating the conservationest victory I just posted. There is a lot to save in the Atacama. Are you buying up land there for a future national park?
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Jan 29, 2018 - 09:56pm PT
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Fritz, Chile is not a Third World country.
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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 29, 2018 - 10:10pm PT
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Rhodo-router! Re your mention: Fritz, Chile is not a Third World country.
Sure, whatever you say. I think it is nearly European & I really enjoyed my two week visit to it in 2013.
Can we just celebrate the New (HUGE) National Parks there in a time when those in power in the U.S. appear to oppose protecting more public lands from logging, mining, & subdivisions?
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mcreel
climber
Barcelona
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Jan 29, 2018 - 10:45pm PT
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Great news! The humans of the 22nd century will be grateful, as I am now!
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Larry Nelson
Social climber
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Jan 29, 2018 - 11:05pm PT
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Four of us explored the areas a bit South of Pumalin Nat Park for 2 weeks back in 2006.
I didn't know much about Pumalin then, but what I read at the time was controversial.
As I recall, Fritz is correct about interests that wanted to develop the land and they used the scarey argument of foreigners taking over.
Also correct about the Tomkins' commitment to unselfishly preserve the land.
Obviously the people of Patagonia have since come to appreciate the investment made to create those National Parks.
Bravo to all who made it happen.
TFPU
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Jan 30, 2018 - 11:08am PT
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I think Fritz met to say the US is becoming a 3rd world country..............
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labrat
Trad climber
Erik O. Auburn, CA
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Jan 30, 2018 - 11:36am PT
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"They are heroes to many, including me."
 1000!!
Wish I could have spent more time there when I visited. Hope to go back.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Jan 30, 2018 - 12:35pm PT
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[we are currently headed for]Banana republic for sure. But you can find 3rd-worldiness here already in spots.
Anyhow I don’t mean to derail, but writing as I am from SE Utah it’s not hard to be a bit pissed off that America’s Best Idea seems to be dying here right as it’s successfully imported elsewhere.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Social climber
Wilds of New Mexico
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Jan 30, 2018 - 03:38pm PT
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I spent a few months in Chile. Such a cool place, sorta feels like a mix between Europe, Latin America and the western U.S.
Cochamo. Peak was unclimbed at the time pic was taken- status changed the next day! I wonder if this region was included in the new parks?
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jan 30, 2018 - 07:39pm PT
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Wonderful stuff, lots of gratitude to the Tompkins' for their
foresight in this.
(Guido--you mean we AREN'T a third world country yet)????
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Jan 31, 2018 - 03:41am PT
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Thank the Tompkins and thank the government of Chile. Working together they are moving Chile in the right direction to ensure that their natural wonders will be there for future generations to marvel at. Is our current government doing the same?
The new “Patagonia National Park” sits just an hour from my house. It is a diverse area of mountains and steppe that is a thousand square mikes in area. It’s diverse topography allows it to contain a full array of wildlife. Every type of mammal and bird that was there when Europeans arrived still exists. It has the highest concentration of puma in the region and vast heards of guanaco. It is also a refuge for threatened species like nandu (ostrich) and huemel (endangered deer).
Come visit!
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