National Geographic was one of the first news agencies to announce that the massive expansion of Chile’s conservation areas announced a year ago by American philanthropists and the Chilean government, has become official. At a ceremony in early February, Chilean president Michelle Bachelet announced the creation of two new national parks and protection for vast swaths of the country’s rainforests, grasslands, and other wild terrains.
Quotable quote: “The announcement represents a major achievement for public-private conservation. In what’s being billed the world’s largest donation of privately held land, American philanthropist Kristine Tompkins — the co-founder of Tompkins Conservation, along with her late husband Doug Tompkins — has handed over slightly more than a million acres of land to Chile. The Chilean government, for its part, has contributed nearly nine million acres of federally owned land. In all, the newly designated parkland is roughly the size of Switzerland.”
Read the rest of the story by Elizabeth Royte and Michael Greshko at: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/chile-new-national-parks-10-million-acres-environment/
