Local conservation nonprofits get REI Co-op grants
Three local conservation nonprofits will receive a total of $16,500 in funding and over $1,000 in gear donations from the REI Co-op to support public lands stewardship work.
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, the Glacier National Park Conservancy and Wild Montana (formerly the Montana Wilderness Association) were selected by REI Kalispell to receive funding this year.
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation hosts more than 40 service projects with more than 300 volunteers each year to open trails, preserve native habitat and restore heavily used areas in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
Funding from REI will support the foundation's Wild Connections program, which aims to remove barriers and foster a more inclusive wilderness community. That work includes building a library of outdoor gear for the foundation's volunteers and partners, and creating "affinity group" trips to build a sense of belonging in the outdoors and provide learning opportunities for people new to wilderness recreation.
The Glacier National Park Conservancy is the official fundraising partner for Glacier National Park. Through donor support and a retail store, the conservancy funds projects and programs aimed at preserving and protecting the park.
Funding from REI will help support the conservancy's work in wilderness preservation, wildlife research and educational programming.
Wild Montana aims to boost volunteerism on public lands and educate people about the work involved in keeping those lands accessible.
Funding from REI will help Wild Montana lead 18 multiday trail projects and involve more than 300 volunteers to build and maintain favorite trails on public lands across the state. In Northwest Montana, projects include work on trails in the Jewel Basin, the Cabinet Mountains and the Great Bear Wilderness. REI funding also will help Wild Montana's local Flathead-Kootenai chapter to maintain trails in the Silver-Butte and West Fisher drainages in the Libby Ranger District.
Since it opened two and a half years ago, the REI location in Kalispell has provided more than $75,000 in grants and gear to various organizations throughout the Flathead Valley, according to store manager Briant Parson. In 2020, the co-op reported giving $6.3 million to more than 400 nonprofits across the country.