The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. As of 2021, it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.
"Nature Conservancy" redirects here. For other uses, see Nature Conservancy (disambiguation).Founded
1951[1]
Global
Conservation by design
1+ million[3]
Jennifer Morris
Senator William Frist, Global Board Chair
Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has over one million members globally as of 2021 and has protected more than 119,000,000 acres (48,000,000 ha) of land in its history.[5] As of 2014, it is the largest environmental non-profit organization by assets and revenue in the Americas.
Award from the Department of Interior
The Table Rocks Environmental Education Program
Lotus Vermeer working with an animal in the field
Regional Ocean Challenges event in Australia
Fox health check at Santa Cruz Island
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe presented with a $500,000 environmental grant
Controversies[edit]
Land deals controversy[edit]
In 2003 The Washington Post ran an investigative series about the Nature Conservancy with allegations of improper dealing and other improprieties that the Nature Conservancy contested.[49] In part, the Post alleged the Conservancy had, time and again, bought ecologically significant tracts of land, attached some development restrictions and then resold the properties to trustees and supporters at greatly reduced prices.[49][50] The sales were part of a program that limits intrusive development but generally allows buyers to build homes on the land.[50] The buyers then gave the Conservancy cash that was roughly equivalent to the amount of the discounts.[50] That allowed the new owners to take significant tax deductions for charitable gifts.[51][52][53][54][55][56]
The Nature Conservancy suspended a range of practices shortly after the articles ran including these sales, licensing its logo to corporations whose executives sat on the Conservancy's governing board and council, all new logging and other "resource extraction activities" such as oil and gas drilling on its nature preserves, and all new loans to employees.[50] The Conservancy launched an independent review that issued its final report in 2004, calling for sweeping reforms aimed at making the Conservancy a model of ethical standards for nonprofit organizations.[57]
Sexual harassment investigation[edit]
After service as The Nature Conservancy's president for one year, Brian McPeek resigned on May 31, 2019, after a report on an internal investigation of sexual harassment was revealed by Politico and two other senior executives were ultimately dismissed based on its findings.[58] On June 7, 2019, Mark Tercek, CEO since 2008, announced his resignation following the resignation of McPeek.[59] On June 10, Luis Solorzano, executive director of The Nature Conservancy's Florida-based Caribbean chapter, became the fifth senior official to depart the organization.[60] On June 11, The Nature Conservancy's board chairman Thomas J. Tierney announced that board member and former US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell would serve as interim CEO, effective September 2019.[61]
