Walmart and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) have announced a 10-year, $34.5 million renewal of the Acres for America conservation program.
The new commitment from Walmart, combined with previous contributions, represents the largest corporate donation to NFWF since the foundation’s creation by Congress in 1984.
Acres for America began in 2005, when Walmart U.S. made its first commitment of $34.5 million to fund the conservation of one acre of wildlife habitat for every acre developed in the United States – estimated to be about 138,000 at the time. Over its 20-year history, Acres for America has surpassed that goal, with more than 2 million acres of wildlife habitat protected – an area greater in size than the combined land area of Rhode Island and Delaware.
“Walmart’s sustained commitment to conservation is as inspirational as it is significant,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF.
“The company has helped make more than 125 projects a reality from Maine to California and everywhere in between. Thousands of species of our native wildlife are dependent on the habitats protected and connected by Acres for America projects. This focus on conserving the best places in America is something meaningful that will benefit our wildlife and local communities for generations to come.”
Acres for America has supported projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. These landscape-scale projects have benefited wildlife species, conserved natural habitats vital to community resilience and quality of life and opened new lands to public recreation.
Through voluntary conservation easements and acquisitions connecting already-protected lands such as national parks and state wildlife areas, Acres for America has helped conserve a much larger area — more than 10 million acres.
“Acres for America was a simple idea in the beginning, a way for Walmart to play a part in preserving key natural habitats across the U.S.,” said Hunter Hart, SVP of Walmart Realty. “What we’ve achieved since then has gone far beyond what was first imagined, and we’re excited to continue this commitment and working alongside NFWF.”
The program holds a grant process each year to identify the highest quality projects from across America. To date, the program has leveraged Walmart’s more than $70 million philanthropic investment with significant federal, state and local community funding from other entities to generate more than $1.2 billion in matching contributions.
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This year’s awards include:
- The south end of Topsail Island on Shoreline Drive in North Carolina will be protected and 100 acres of barrier island conserved. The project will protect sand dunes, maritime shrub forest and more than a mile and a half of shoreline which provide habitat for several federally listed species including sea turtles and piping plovers. In addition, the project will secure permanent public access for the local community.
- In the northwest corner of Rhode Island, a 930-acre acquisition will add to the Buck Hill and George Washington Management Areas, and by connecting the lands already under protection, will form a protected landscape of more than 7,000 acres of wildlife corridor.
- On a working ranch in Nevada, 21,449 acres of wildlife habitat will be placed under a conservation easement to protect important sagebrush steppe, wet meadow, and native grassland habitat essential for mule deer, elk and pronghorn. This easement will also ensure public access foractivities including hunting, hiking, fishing and birding.
- In the Rangeley Lakes region of Maine, a 13,836-acres forestland conservation easement will provide habitat for large mammals like moose and deer, federally threatened Canada lynx, two globally rare songbirds and will protect 31 miles of streams and ponds, providing important habitat for brook trout and landlocked salmon. The easement will also provide public access for hiking, fishing and hunting, and includes over 25 miles of snowmobile and ATV trails.
- In the forested landscape of South Carolina, a large-scale conservation easement will protect regionally significant bottomland forests and wetlands that support numerous migratory birds and aquatic species, secure local water supplies and create additional public recreation opportunities.
- Along the Missouri and Mississippi river floodplains in Illinois and Missouri, 3,200 acres of floodplain habitat will be protected. The project will allow for future ecosystem restoration in order to create important wetland habitat, including critical stopover habitat for waterfowl along the Mississippi Flyway migration route.
- Adjacent to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California, 3,000 acres will be conserved via land acquisition. The project will protect some of the most important habitat for the world-famous McCloud River rainbow trout and support Indigenous-led endangered salmon conservation.
Beginning this year, Walmart will also expand the Acres for America partnership to include its outdoor brand Ozark Trail. As a brand dedicated to providing customers with quality, affordable products to get outside and enjoy nature regardless of budget, Ozark Trail and Acres for America’s missions are closely aligned.
