grants03

Domestic Biodiversity

Alaska Conservation Foundation	Contact Them Anchorage, Alaska
The Alaska Conservation Foundation received $10,000 in general support for their site- or issue-specific campaigns, public education efforts concerning conservation issues, and assistance to local environmental groups through its grantmaking and advocacy skills-training programs. Their current Ecosystem Protection Programs include: Alaska Rainforest Campaign- Introduced into Congress recently, the Alaska Rainforest Conservation Act seeks permanent protection for the roadless areas of the Tongass and Chugach National Forests. ACF will work to build member sponsorship, public awareness and media understanding of the bill. Alaska Oceans Network- ACF will focus on reducing destructive bottom trawling practices that essentially clearcut ocean floors, adversely affecting fish, mammal and marine bird populations. *Alaska Coalition- ACF will continue to protect the Arctic Refuge, Alaska's national parks, and wilderness areas from legislative riders and other threats.

American Rivers	Contact Them Seattle, Washington
American Rivers received $20,000 for their "Voyage of Recovery" campaign. The Campaign is taking advantage of the public interest surrounding the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark's journey to increase public awareness of river conservation issues. This year's projects will focus on Columbia River Estuary restoration, hydroelectric dam reform, improving river flows, lower Snake River dam removal, and defending the Endangered Species Act listings of Wild Salmon and Steelhead.

American Wildlands	Contact Them Bozeman, Montana
American Wildlands was awarded $10,000 for their "Safe Passages" project that protects wildlife movement under, over, and around busy highways. "Safe passages" aims to influence national policy and appropriations, regional/state transportation plans, and to implement local projects involving wildlife underpasses and other structural wildlife thru-ways. Such structural measures have been shown to improve wildlife connectivity and long-term genetic exchange between populations. American Wildlands is currently the only western group addressing the 2003 Transportation Equity Act in order to ensure that wildlife mitigation and road kill studies are included, and is also working with three state departments (MT,ID,WY) to integrate wildlife mitigation into their 10-year plans.

California Wilderness Coalition	Contact Them Davis, California
The California Wilderness Coalition received $20,000 in continued support for their work to increase protection for the wildlands of Northern California. Conservation efforts in California suffered in 2003 as anti-environmental legislation, regulation and court settlements impacted California's public lands. In response, CWC has increased its grassroots efforts in both northern and southern California by setting up two new field offices in Eureka and Riverside. The CWC will continue to defend lands against irresponsible logging, mining, off-road vehicles, energy extraction, and unwise development in addition to their the Defense of the Wild Campaign, the Golden State Wilderness Campaign, the California Wild Heritage Campaign, and the California Wildlands Project.

Endangered Species Coalition	Contact Them Washington, DC
ESC was awarded $15,000 for their work strengthening the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and organizing the grassroots community around protecting our nation's biological heritage. Weeden funds will support four ongoing campaigns to (1) empower citizens and activists with the skills and knowledge necessary to protect endangered species (2) educate the public on the importance of biodiversity and endangered species issues (3) ensure the ESA is not weakened or abolished and (4) increase funding for the ESA for 2004 and beyond. A fifth project will be to increase protections for endangered species living on Department of Defense (DoD) lands, and to demonstrate to the military services that they do not need blanket exemptions from environmental laws.

Georgetown Environmental Law & Policy Center	Contact Them Washington, DC
GELPI was awarded $20,000 to oppose regulatory "takings" challenges to public conservation programs, that protect forest and aquatic habitats for endangered species in California and the Northwest. Across the West, a series of takings challenges are being filed by extraction groups. Their aim is to obtain a definitive legal precedent establishing that government restrictions on resource use, aimed at protecting endangered species, constitute compensable takings under the Takings Clause.

Montana Audubon	Contact Them Helena, Montana
MT Audubon received $20,000 for "The Ephemeral Important Bird Areas (IBAs) Concept in Burned Forests". Because fire-killed trees provide critical habitat for several species of threatened birds in the West, MT Audubon will work with the Forest Service to develop a suite of IBAs, whose locations will vary as their suitability for woodpeckers and other fire-dependent species change over time. To achieve this, MT Audubon will integrate bird conservation, citizen science, and public policy programs into one strategy built around the Bitterroot National Forest IBA concept. The project is a new concept for IBAs, and MT Audubon hopes that the identification of ephemeral IBAs in burned forests will be adopted by other state IBA programs and national forests.

Montana Wilderness Association	Contact Them Helena, Montana
MWA received $20,000 for general support and their Quiet Trails Campaign. The overall goal of the Quiet Trails Campaign is to obtain long-term protection for 10 million acres of undesignated roadless public land in Montana. These wildlands are threatened by motorbikes, snowmobiles, jets skis, and other ORVs that not only pollute water and air, fragment wildlife habitat, spread weeds, displace traditional human recreation, and promote road building, but also potentially prevent these areas from being designated as Wilderness Areas.

Natural Trails & Waters Coalition	Contact Them Missoula, Montana
The Coalition was awarded $20,000 for their "Campaign to Reform Off-road Vehicle Management in our National Forests". Citing uncontrolled use of ORVs as one of the greatest threats facing our national forests, the Forest Service made a commitment last fall to revise its off-road vehicle management policy by November 2004. Unlike most regulatory changes taking place under the Bush Administration, this commitment came from within the F.S. and truly represents an excellent opportunity for off-road vehicle activists to win real reform across the National Forest System. The Coalition will continue to raise the visibility of the ORV issue, support and coordinate the grassroots community, and build relationships with hunters and ranchers in order to ensure the F.S. does not waiver.

PEER	Contact Them Washington, DC
PEER received $20,000 in general support to assist and protect federal employees in natural resource agencies. Acting as a conduit for the release of critical internal documents, the exposing of agency malfeasance and the strengthening of internal reformers' positions, PEER forces government agencies to be accountable for their actions against the environment. This year's focus will be on the enforcing of resource and habitat protections; reforming public land give-aways; protecting scientific ethics and combating fraud among public agency scientists; and combating the Bush Administration's increasing practice of outsourcing scientific and natural resource positions and turning management of national forests and parks over to private concerns.

Southeast Alaska Conservation Council	Contact Them Juneau, Alaska
The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC) received $20,000 in general support for their work to delay and halt damaging development proposals involving the pristine, unprotected Tongass national forest and neighboring wildlands. The Tongass is the largest remaining temperate rainforest on the planet. Yet, increasingly the area is threatened by clearcuts, roads, mines, land exchanges, and privatization. SEACC will work with their activist network to fight these timber sales, seek long-term protection for these wildlands, highlight the huge cost of roadless area timber sales to U.S. taxpayers, and draw national attention to the Forest Service's retreat from protecting roadless areas across the country.

Siskiyou Project	Contact Them Cave Junction, Oregon
The Siskiyou Project was granted $15,000 for their Siskiyou Wild Rivers Campaign, an education and advocacy program that seeks to protect and restore the Rogue, Illinois, Chetco, and Smith river watersheds. As the largest intact coastal forest in the Northwest, the Siskiyou-Klamath bioregion is exceptional for its floral biodiversity, its roadless areas, and as the last refuge for many wild salmon and other species. However, because the region is currently under severe threat from logging and mining interests (which have been un-tethered by the Bush Administration), the Siskiyou Project will advance with new urgency its efforts to establish a Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Conservation Area to permanently protect one million acres of southwest Oregon. This designation would end commercial logging, restrict off-road vehicle use, prevent further mining, and include many Wilderness/Wild & Scenic designations, as well as a fire risk reduction program that would provide local employment opportunities. This program will focus on debunking the widespread perception that the lack of thinning the forest and the absence of roads were the main causes of the destructive Biscuit fire of last summer. The Siskiyou Project will also work to protect the fragile post-fire watersheds from salvage logging and other destructive activities, as part of its continuing work in addressing water flow, water quality, and watershed degradation issues.

WaterWatch of Oregon	Contact Them Portland, Oregon
WaterWatch of Oregon received $20,000 of continued funding for their work to protect the Klamath Basin and to defend ecologically significant rivers in Oregon. Through continued litigation, media coverage, and state level reform, WaterWatch will support the ongoing tribal trust litigation over the 2001 Klamath fish kill, combat the Bush Administration's misuse and manipulation of "science" and mismanagement of the Basin's Wildlife Refuges, and eliminate illegal diversions of the Klamath water supply. Focusing on Willamette, Sandy River and Deschutes basins, WaterWatch will also monitor attempts to use unrealistic population growth projections to lock up water rights, and utilize the media to emphasize that conservation must accompany growth.

Western Land Exchange Project	Contact Them Seattle, Washington
Corporate interests in pursuing public resources for timber, ranching, and mining - often seek land exchanges with the BLM and Forest Service. Tens of thousands of acres of public lands are traded each year, and until recently, most of these transactions were accomplished with virtually no public awareness or involvement. The Western Land Exchange Project (WLXP) is the only organization in the country solely dedicated to the issue of federal land exchanges and sales. WLXP was awarded a general support grant of $20,000 for their research, outreach and advocacy for federal land exchange policy reform. A great deal of their work involves educating, assisting, and empowering citizen groups that are dealing with land exchange issues. WLXP's intent is not to oppose all land trades, but to ensure that: their consequences are disclosed and understood; they advance the public interest as required by law; and alternatives to land exchanges be given serious consideration.

Western Rivers Conservancy	Contact Them Portland, Oregon
The Conservancy received $10,000 to protect the Smith River.. Currently, the health of the Smith is threatened by proposed logging operations by the Simpson Timber Company on its largest tributary, Goose Creek. Due to the steep slope and unstable soils of the river's watershed, logging would be very hazardous to the Smith's water quality and fishery. Fortunately, Simpson Timber has agreed to sell their entire 9,483-acre holding along 13 miles of Goose Creek for $4.7 million. The Conservancy has since put together a coalition, including the Smith River NRA, the Smith River Alliance, and CalTrout to secure the funding that the Forest Service will need to purchase and manage the land as part of the Smith River NRA.

Wilderness Watch	Contact Them Missoula, Montana
Wilderness Watch received $20,000 of general support for their efforts to preserve the wilderness character and integrity of the lands within the National Wilderness Preservation System. Their "Wilderness Defense & Stewardship Program" aggressively challenges the degradation of wilderness resources that has become commonplace in proposed management plans and national agency policies. Other activities will include: convening an Alaskan Wilderness forum to build a broader understanding of the on-the-ground problems and management issues affecting the future of Alaska's Wilderness and wildlands; engaging the planning process for the revision of three National Forest Plans in Montana; engaging the Forest Service in its development of a Wilderness monitoring protocol to assess the wilderness character throughout the NWPS; and working with Congress to develop a reporting requirement that will foster accountability within all wilderness stewardship agencies.

Wildlands Center for Preventing Roads	Contact Them Missoula, Montana
Wildlands CPR received $20,000 of funding for their Transportation Policy Program, which works to protect western public lands by promoting road removal, preventing road construction, and limiting motorized recreation. Currently, the program is largely working to shape precedent-setting transportation plans that have national implications. Over the next year, their Transportation Policy Program will work to: (1) limit motorized vehicle travel to routes designated by an appropriate environmental analysis process for at least 50% of National Forests; and (2), defend existing environmental regulations in a minimum of three high profile transportation policies.

Wildlands Project	Contact Them Richmond, Vermont
The Wildlands Project received $20,000 for their vision of connected systems of wildlands throughout North America, achieved through science-based land use designs that sustain both nature and people. This year, the Project and its partners will publish three new Wildlands Network Designs for the Rocky Mountains that will constitute the final pieces in a continental-scale ecological planning network, stretching from the U.S.-Mexico borderlands to the northernmost reaches of Canada's Yukon Territory. Weeden funds will also support the Wild Earth Journal, which publishes provocative writing from the conservation community's most visionary activists, writers and scholars.

International Biodiversity

Altai Assistance Project	Contact Them Wadhams, New York
$20,000 was given to The Altai Assistance Project for their projects related to land use planning and nature parks management, community-based eco-tourism, and sustainable energy in the Altai. Their overall program will involve seven nature parks, four of which urgently need technical assistance formulating land use plans and training local managers. Without well-conceived land use and management plans, the parks will continue to be wide open to inappropriate and damaging activities. The program will also entail educating local communities in low-impact ecotourism and a specialist exchange program between the Altai parks and the Adirondack Park of New York.

American Lands Alliance	Contact Them Washington, DC
ALA received $15,000 for their work protecting the world-class biodiversity of the Klamath Siskiyou Wild Rivers region. ALA plans to block or mitigate the Bush Administration's Biscuit post-fire logging sale, and to build support for the proposed Klamath Siskiyou Wild Rivers Monument. ALA will bring national attention to the destructive Biscuit logging proposal, and will reach out to non-traditional allies, scientists, and elected officials for protection of the area. They will utilize their Action Alert listserve that reaches over 2000 forest protections leaders and organizations nationwide to implement call-in days, citizen comments, sign on letters and other means of demonstrating national opposition to the sale, and to generate support for permanent protection of the area. The ultimate goal of the project is to have the sale cancelled altogether, or at least significantly modified to avoid logging in old growth, wild and scenic river areas, and other sensitive areas habitat.

American Museum of Natural History	Contact Them New York, New York
$20,000 was awarded to the Center of Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) for their COBIMI project, which is implemented with CBC's Bolivian partner institutions the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, the Coleccion Boliviana de Fauna, and the Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado. The project provides training and outreach to indigenous peoples in three protected park areas in Bolivia in order to promote community-based ecotourism, and to increase community involvement in the conservation of park resources. Foundation funding will also support eight projects that involve ten communities (eight in Apolobamba on the Altiplano, and two in Amboro near Santa Cruz in the South). The CBC will continue capacity-building in community project management, enhancing environmental interpretation skills, and heightening conservation awareness through interpretive centers.

Armonia/Birdlife International	Contact Them Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Armonia was awarded $10,000 for their work to conserve birds and their habitats in Bolivia. Armonia's work includes the creation and management of an extensive database of distributional records for the country's 1,400 species of birds. This information, drawn from scientific literature, museum specimens, and field reports, has allowed Armonia to identify priority species and their habitats that need urgent protection.

Defensores del Bosque Chilenos	Contact Them Santiago, Chile
Defensores received $15,000 for "Voces del Bosque" which is designed to inform the public and decision-makers of industrial projects and other developments that threaten Chilean forests. In the past two years, the newsletter has become a vital source of information regarding market campaigns, private land conservation, and industrial projects. In addition to its communications role, Defensores is actively participating in the following campaigns: (1) Stop Alumysa Campaign (2) Forest Markets Campaign (3) Save the Alerce Campaign - they have been spearheading this effort to stop the illegal exploitation and trade in Chile and abroad of Alerce trees, Chile's natural monument and one of the oldest tree species on earth.

ELAW	Contact Them Eugene, Oregon
ELAW received $20,000 for their work providing skills and resources to grassroots environmental lawyers and scientists around the world and their "Protecting Rivers and Watersheds in Latin America" program. The program provides advocates throughout Latin America (Chile, Belize, Mexico, Peru) with the tools they need to conserve ecologically significant waterways and riparian corridors. In Chile, ELAW will continue to support FIMA to educate fishing communities in the Aisen region (site of the proposed Alumysa project) on protecting the region's vital waterways. In Belize, ELAW will work to protect the Macal River from an ill-advised dam project, and in Mexico, ELAW will protect Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico, from industrial and agricultural pollution. Communities in Peru will be given the tools necessary to fight toxic mining projects in the Andes Mountains that would contaminate two vital watersheds. This funding will help build a corps of skilled committed advocates in Latin America that will be able to defend their environments for years to come.

FIMA	Contact Them Santiago, Chile
FIMA recieved $15,000 for their "Protecting and Conserving Southern Chile's Water Resources Program". FIMA is serving as the legal representative for the biggest environmental coalition in the history of Chile, that is taking on the Canadian Noranda Corporation's 3 billion dollar Alumysa Project in Southern Chile. FIMA was instrumental in delaying government approval of the project through legal action concerning project water rights and by providing extensive comments for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Taking advantage of Noranda's withdrawal from the project (most likely temporary), FIMA has continued to involve national and international scientists, evaluating the EIA, and this year will focus more heavily on educating the local community, particularly local artisanal fishing communities. In order to educate these communities of the devastating effects of the Alumysa project, FIMA will hold three workshops to teach local decision-makers and leaders about the environmental impacts of the project, and how to be effective in opposition.

ForestEthics	Contact Them Portland, Oregon
ForestEthics received $20,000 for their campaign to protect Chile's native forests from being replaced by industrial tree farms and to strengthen the trend toward the production and purchase of FSC-certified wood products by large suppliers and distributors. Forest Ethics will continue to build U.S. market pressure for FSC-certified wood by obtaining commitments from U.S. companies to demand only FSC wood products and working with Chilean wood importers to develop procurement policies designed to protect native forests.

Fundacion Terram	Contact Them Santiago, Chile
Terram was awarded $20,000 for their work to analyze and promote the current trend of land acquisition for conservation. In recent years, private individuals and institutions have purchased large expanses of land as private parks, nature sanctuaries and/or eco-tourism ventures, saving hundreds of thousands of acres of native forests in Chile from logging companies and other development. Terram aims to evaluate the nature and implications of this trend by studying the motivations of the purchasers as well as attempting to measure the economic, social and environmental values of the conservation areas purchased. Following this, Terram will evaluate Chilean policy restrictions on conservation land purchases, and accordingly, propose public policy changes to strengthen and facilitate this conservation trend. Finally, Terram will disseminate the findings within Chile abroad through their website, mailings, and presentations at conferences, such as the annual land trust rally in the U.S.

Global Greengrants Fund	Contact Them Boulder, Colorado
GGF requests received $20,000 for "Building the Environmental Movement in the Altai Region of Russia and Northwest China". GGF's program of small grants to grassroots organizations on both sides of the border is designed to build organizational capacity and geographical reach. Environmental protection in the region is weak; regulatory agencies increasingly bow to Russian and international business interests, which are lining up to take advantage of unprecedented opportunities for exploitation. Contributing to this situation is China's emergence as one of Russia's largest natural resource markets. Proposed roads and rail lines to China will likely increase pressures on the region. In this economic free-for-all, it is even more important to support environmental leaders that can generate strong local support for conservation while fostering the implementation of regional environmental strategies.

International Rivers Network	Contact Them Berkeley, California
The International Rivers Network received $20,000 continued funding for their Aluminum Campaign, a global effort to increase awareness of the connection between the negative environmental and social impacts of large dams and the production, consumption and wasting of aluminum. As well as posing environmental threats through bauxite mining, airborne fluorides and perflourcarbon emissions, aluminum consumption accounts for 6% of the world's hydropower production. IRN will hold the First International Strategic Roundtable on the Aluminum Industry in Brazil in October 2003. The Roundtable will lay the groundwork for the future of the campaign, and participants will include environmental and human rights activists, community representatives, labor unionists and technical experts. The Campaign also continues to address critical dam projects around the world, and works to strengthen the environmental standards of international financial institutions financing the aluminum industry.

Island Conservation & Ecology Group	Contact Them Santa Cruz, California
The Island Conservation & Ecology Group (ICEG) received $20,000 in continued support for their work to protect the 285 islands of Northwest Mexico through invasive species eradication. ICEG aims to make Mexico a demonstration center where individuals and agencies all over the world can learn about cutting edge island conservation techniques. They also are working to the designate the 11 Pacific Islands of Baja as a biosphere reserve.

MiningWatch Canada	Contact Them Ottawa, Canada


Pacific Environment	Contact Them Oakland, California
Pacific Environment was given $20,000 for their collection of nature conservation, forest protection and public education programs in the Altai region. Working with local counterparts (the Fund for 21st Century Altai, the Altai State University Ecoclub, and the Siberian Environment Center), Pacific Environment aims to: protect wilderness in the Altai region by creating nature parks; monitor the region's threats; promote transboundary conservation; and halt the proposed construction of the Katun Dam. Efforts to promote transboundary conservation between Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and China will focus on fostering local support for the International Coordinating Committee on the Altai, whose mission, in part, is to identify and promote potential UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Rainforest Action Network	Contact Them San Francisco, California
The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) was awarded $15,000 for their efforts to permanently protect southern Chile's temperate rainforests. RAN will continue to keep the pressure on forest products companies by building on the successful Home Depot markets campaign (along with ForestEthics). RAN will also keep the heat on Chilean companies by pressuring American banks to discontinue their financing of unsustainable projects, and by reaching agreements with other large wood purchasers of Chilean wood in the U.S. Complementing these strategies. In addition, RAN will offer local environmental and indigenous groups strategic advice and grants to assist their efforts with the Chilean government and industry leaders.

Sacred Earth Network	Contact Them Amherst, Massachusetts
SEN received for its Russian Environmental Partnership Program, which promotes sustainable energy, empowers indigenous peoples, and strengthens cross-cultural collaboration while protecting wilderness in the Altai. Current projects include: (1) Lake Teletskoye Nature Preserve - This reserve of 881,200 hectares is home to snow leopards, Argali sheep and other endangered species. With the help of SEN, a local NGO will build a visitor's center and initiate a public outreach program on the significance of the reserve. (2) Katun River Project - The NGO, Fund for 21st Century Altai is currently negotiating to acquire land near the proposed hydroelectric dam. SEN will assist the project in building a straw-bale visitor center on this site. The center will provide information on natural attractions, indigenous peoples of the region, opportunities for eco-tourism, and low-impact practices for tourists. (3)Uch Emmek Project- A Nature Park has been created to preserve the Karakol valley's sacred indigenous sites for traditional use, while allowing the public to experience the area's other natural attractions.


Population & Consumption

Alternatives to Growth Oregon	Contact Them Portland , Oregon
AGO received $20,000 for their Public Outreach and Advocacy Programs, which are designed to educate Oregonians about the connection between their increasing population and consumption rates and the decline of their natural environment and quality of life. The Public Outreach Program focuses on expanding its volunteer, activist and membership bases and developing local chapters where support is strongest throughout the state. The Advocacy Program works to reverse state and local pro-growth policies and subsidies. By showing that current policies are not sustainable and by providing alternative models that are currently working in communities, AGO encourages the discussion of growth-neutral policies in elections and public policy debates.

Californians for Population Stabilization	Contact Them Santa Barbara, California
CAPS received $20,000 of funding to expand their "Overpopulation Awareness Media Campaign". The radio part of the campaign emphasizes the environmental impact of overpopulation and over-immigration on California biodiversity, particularly within the San Francisco Bay area. The television part currently being considered will focus on general environmental impacts of immigration targeting either Palm Springs, CA or Bakersfield, OR.

Casa	Contact Them Guanajuato, Mexico
CASA received $20,000 for their Reproductive Rights Advocacy Program. The main objective is to increase favorable public attitudes towards adolescent reproductive rights, abortion rights, and the use of midwives as service providers. This year, the majority of Weeden funding will be used toward radio and television announcements and programs that focus on adolescent and abortion rights. In order to develop an effective campaign, a survey will be conducted in at least six different states, primarily in rural areas, to ascertain target audiences and measure knowledge and attitudes towards abortion, contraceptives including emergency contraception, birthing practices, and current legislation governing access to such reproductive health services. The design of the radio segments, articles, billboards and television programs will be based on the survey results, as will the impact evaluation of the overall campaign.

Catholics for a Free Choice	Contact Them Washinton, DC
Catholics for a Free Choice received $20,000 for their Latin America program. Despite several victories for reproductive rights in Latin America over the last year, including positive changes in Mexican abortion and emergency contraception laws, progress in breaking the Church's influence on Latin American governments has been slow. In 2004, CDD will build pro-choice constituencies among youth, indigenous women, opinion leaders, policy makers, the progressive church community, and health care educational sectors as part of their Pro-Choice Alliance Project. Because it is critical to defend and ensure the enforcement of laws that protect or guarantee reproductive and sexual rights in Mexico, CDD will also concentrate on educating state-level policy makers. CDD will also hold one regional forum for dialogue between policy makers and high level representatives of government institutions and social organizations. Smaller CFFC grants in Argentina, Colombia, and Chile will support education efforts such as public forums, meetings with legislators, media outreach and publications.

Center for a New American Dream	Contact Them Takoma Park, Maryland
The Center for a New American Dream was awarded $20,000 for their work countering the commercialization of our culture and changing the way goods are produced and consumed. With their marketing campaign, their Step-by-Step online activist program, and their Turn the Tide (9 simple ways to live more sustainably), the Center motivates individuals, as consumers and activists, to push corporations and policy makers to institute broad changes in their environmental policies. Through their Procurement Strategies program, the Center will also work with state and local governments and private sector institutions to shift the billions of purchasing dollars they control into green products. This program currently focuses on paper, cleaning products, alternative fuel vehicles, and electronic take-backs. A third objective of the Center will be to strengthen the sustainability movement by integrating the Center's work with other like-minded campaigns and projects. The Center will participate in meetings on market-based approaches in the paper, computer, and health industries.

Center for Immigration Studies	Contact Them Washington, DC
The Center for Immigration Studies received $20,000 in general support for their work examining the demographic and economic impacts of immigration on the U.S. While the Center's work serves primarily as an educational tool, their briefings and invitations to testify constitute some of the Center's most successful outreach, and their publications are frequently used by policymakers. In the coming year, the Center will complete: a detailed review and analysis of the Census Bureau population projections that will be released later this year; an examination of immigration proposals and their potential impact on population growth; and additional analysis and dissemination of their Sprawl Study.

Conservatree	Contact Them San Francisco, CA
Increased production of paper from sources such as recycled/post-consumer materials, agricultural crops and residues, and certified sustainable forests is critical to transforming one of the world's most environmentally damaging industries. Yet, to date environmental paper has achieved only a 10% market share, and less than 5% of paper fiber is recycled content. The lack of progress for environmental papers is largely due to the divide between environmental advocates and the paper industry regarding best standards and practices. Conservatree received $15,000 support for their "Listening Study", a process designed to break down the barriers, misunderstandings, and disagreements that currently exist between environmental groups and the paper industry on a broad range of issues surrounding environmentally friendly paper products. The study is designed to create a level of common understanding that is expected to lead to productive actions by manufacturers, purchasers, activists, researchers, governments, and others to develop markets for tree free fiber.

Container Recycling Institute	Contact Them Arlington, Virginia
CRI was awarded $10,000 for "The Trillionth Can" Media Project. CRI has estimated that between 1972 (when the Aluminum Association began collecting sales and recycling data on cans) and 2002, 961 billion cans were wasted in the U.S. by incineration, landfill, or littering. Thus, at a rate of 50 billion wasted cans a year, over one trillion cans have been wasted to date. CRI plans to initiate this media project at the same time the official 2003 "wastage" data becomes available in March/April 2004. To ensure accurate coverage, CRI has developed fact lists concerning aluminum consumption, with such eye-opening statistics as: the aluminum metal in one trillion wasted cans is enough to replace the world's entire commercial airline fleet 3.6 times. In addition to pursuing high profile feature coverage, CRI will compile editorial packets for major newspapers to be sent out concurrently with the Aluminum Association's annual recycling rate release.

E Magazine	Contact Them Westport, Connecticut
E Magazine recieved $10,000 to underwrite the cost of articles on two topics: (1) the environmental aspects of population/immigration and (2) the use of alternative fibers (particularly kenaf) to make paper. The magazine intends to cover population/ immigration issues regularly in 2003-04. E also proposes a special issue on alternatives to tree-based paper. In the coming decades, pulp for paper is expected to reach 60% of all wood production, while currently 70% of the fiber for the production of pulp is from virgin wood. A fully researched and widely distributed issue on paper alternatives could energize a movement that is currently suffering from a lack of public awareness, funding and public commitments. The issue will give particular attention to kenaf, which has the potential to become a major fiber crop in the U.S for paper production.

Green Press Initiative	Contact Them Encinitas, California
The Green Press Initiative (GPI) was awarded $10,000 for their efforts to steer the North American publishing industry away from paper derived from ancient and endangered forest and towards ecologically sustainable wood and paper products. The U.S.-based Green Press Initiative plans to build upon the success of the Canadian Markets Initiative, which has garnered commitments from 24 major Canadian book publishers, resulting in 2 million books printed on ancient forest friendly paper in Canada in the past 12 months. GPI and MI will continue to secure commitments from publishers, and provide technical support to participating publishing houses and printing companies. Simultaneously, the program will work to stimulate market demand for high post-consumer recycled content papers and papers containing agricultural fibers. The program will use positive press to raise the public profile of paper consumption and its threats to ancient and endangered forests globally, making use of a core group of prominent authors who will be developed to serve as program spokespeople.

Grist Magazine	Contact Them Seattle, Washington
Grist Magazine is a free online environmental magazine that publishes news, analysis, opinions, consumer tips, book reviews, cartoons, action alerts, and green activist profiles. With half of its 150,000 monthly readers in their 20s and 30s, Grist is geared toward inspiring young adults to be more environmentally active. Grist was awarded $10,000 to expand its "Ask Umbra" column, a humorous column offering useful advice on a wide range of environmental questions. Since its launch in April 2002, "Ask Umbra" has been Grist's most popular segment, receiving up to 100 questions per week from readers around the world interested in reducing their consumption patterns.

Independent Press Association	Contact Them San Francisco, California
IPA was awarded $20,000 for the PAPER project, which aims to shift the magazine industry towards the use of recycled paper as opposed to industry-typical chlorine-bleached, virgin fiber paper. The virgin paper industry is ranked highest in water use, second in energy consumption, and the chlorine-based bleaching process produces dioxin, a bio-accumulating toxin linked to cancer and birth defects. Recycled paper technology has improved to the point that cost and quality comparisons are good. However, at this time, recycled paper mills are closing due to lack of demand, and the country is in danger of losing recycled paper capacity. To reverse this trend, IPA will work to jump start demand by: securing Letters of Commitment from 5-8 publishers (with circulations of at least 500,000) to switch to eco-papers of at least 10% post-consumer content; encouraging corporate advertisers to be advocates for eco-paper in magazines in which they advertise; and increasing public demand for eco- and human health-friendly practices by the industry. IPA will also mobilize socially responsible investors and execute an aggressive media campaign that promotes magazines that make the switch, while continuing to publicly pressure more stubborn publishers.

Ipas	Contact Them Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Ipas received additionall funding in the amount of $20,000 for their work to increase the instances under which: abortion is legal, abortion is accepted socially, and abortion services are available in Mexico. Ipas will continue to develop and implement strategies that facilitate women's access to abortion for legal indications other than rape or incest, thus, expanding women's options and responding to women's and adolescent girl's rights to abortion services. Ipas incorporates women's needs related to abortion care into the agendas of a wide range of social actors, including organizations, institutions, and private health care providers. Training physicians and health care workers in abortion care is the focus of their work. Having already trained over 3,750 health providers in three states, this year Ipas will work with partner organizations to introduce the Ipas model of care in three new states (Guanajuato, Zacatecas, and Queretaro).

Mainstream Media Project	Contact Them Arcata, California
The Mainstream Media Project received $15,000 for their nationally and internationally syndicated public affairs radio program, "A World of Possibilities". Each week, the program examines a specific issue in depth with leading policy analysts, thinkers and innovators from around the world. Weeden funds will support the production and distribution costs of a two-part series within the program, discussing ancient forest protection, sustainable forestry, and paper production and consumption issues. The first hour-long program will discuss innovative efforts to protect the coastal and temperate forests of Central and South America, and the second will discuss alternative paper fibers and consumption issues. To ensure high broadcasting potential, each program will be able to stand alone or as part of a series. The series will also be produced as a public educational resource and will be available in CD format and on their website.

NumbersUSA	Contact Them Arlington, Virginia
NumbersUSA was granted $20,000 for their work to protect rural lands from suburban sprawl by means of immigration reform. Through their sprawl studies, Numbers makes the case that over 50% of suburban sprawl is due to population growth and 50% of immigrants live in suburban areas. In June, NumbersUSA in concert with the Center of Immigration Studies will issue a large new sprawl study that will be based on the latest statewide USDA Natural Resources Inventory. This will provide new data and analyses to make the continuing case for the relationship between population and sprawl. Numbers will also build support for this issue through their website, SprawlCity.org, and through distribution of CD-ROMs to schools and other institutions.

Rainforest Alliance	Contact Them New York, New York
The Rainforest Alliance received $15,000 of support for their efforts to conduct outreach to, and develop market linkages with the building and paper-use industries for FSC/SmartWood certified wood and paper in the New York Area. New York's high concentration of publishing firms offers significant potential for the promoting of environmental paper in an important market place. A Weeden grant would allow RA to conduct education and outreach to publishers, printers, paper merchants, and institutional buyers about certified and recycled paper.

Redefining Progress	Contact Them Oakland, California
Redefining Progress received $10,000 in funding to develop a sustainability education campaign for K-12 schools based on their program, the "Ecological Footprint." Easily understood by both children and adults, the "Ecological Footprint" is a scientific measure of the impact human activity has on the global ecosystem. Not only will teachers learn about human impact on the environment, and sustainability, they will also gain an understanding of how to incorporate these concepts into their teaching. RP will also explore partnerships with museums to develop sustainability exhibits for kids, and will work with children's publications to place articles on the sustainability and "Ecological Footprint" themes.

Watershed Media	Contact Them Boonville, California
Watershed Media (WM) produces action-oriented, visually dynamic, communication materials designed to promote the transition to a green society. WM was awarded $10,000 for "Unwrapping Packaging: A Journey Outside the Box". The book project will be the third volume in their Wood Reduction Trilogy, a set of books addressing the three primary consumer/industrial uses of forest products: paper, residential building materials, and packaging. "Unwrapping Packaging" offers a systems view of how packaging contributes to habitat degradation, escalating paper and virgin wood use, hyper-consumption, and indiscriminate waste.