Patagonia Helps Chile Develop National Parks Spanning 10 Million Acres

By Mayukh Saha / Truth Theory

President Michelle Bachelet leaving the presidential office in Chile might be forgotten after a couple of decades, but her environmental footprints would never be scalped off. Well, how could it when she recently installed 5 new national parks that have an area of 10 million acres.

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Bachelet mentions that this event was in no away just an unprecedented incident. In fact, this was a link for other governments to look for other alternatives to the dearth of resources. Governments had to move towards sustainable development and hence find ways that would enable them to use this land in a much more beneficial way.

Image Source: Pumalín Park and Project / Tompkins Conservation

This is one of the latest schemes of President Bachelet, who has been a major supporter of environmental protection and change. Back in 2015, she had given orders for building a couple of marine sanctuaries that covered 350,000 square meters. Since then, the sanctuaries have simply increased in size.

What is interesting about these national parks is their conception. Back in 2017, Tompkins Conservation had gifted Chile an area worth 1 million acres. The entire ‘gift’ was funded by Doug Tompkins, a famous philanthropist and founder of The North Face, an outdoor clothing company. He was assisted in his venture by his wife Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, who is also the ex-founder of Patagonia.

Image Source: Pumalín Park and Project / Tompkins Conservation

Unsurprisingly, this couple’s immense wealth helped them acquire a vast space of land in Chile, which they then donated to the government. They decided that the land would be better used if converted into national parks. After Doug Tompkins expired in 2015, his wife believed this gift to be the sweet results of their efforts over the years. In one of the major press releases, Kristine mentioned how proud she was of her husband whose vision had led to such an investment. She also spoke of how it was pure will power that brought forth the national parks.

Image Source: Pumalín Park and Project / Tompkins Conservation

This move has had both advocates and protestors. Ranchers and fishermen believe that this move would deprive them of the land that they could have used for their survival. They are of the notion that this will severely encroach upon the land that they cultivate on. Environmentalists have kept up their idea that this would be extremely helpful to tourism in the country. Also, with this country enabling destructive industries for decades, this would be a step taken in the right direction. Also, when land is conserved, the air and water get cleansed. This would help the local communities survive even when the climate isn’t favorable.

Importantly, this park has a public-private nature which could be emulated throughout the world. Tompkins Conservation hasn’t stopped just there- they have also helped in the development of a national park in Argentina.

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Image Source: Pumalín Park and Project / Tompkins Conservation

Kristine highlighted her plans quite clearly- while they were definitely looking at models that would help rejuvenate and take care of the environment, their primary focus was on rewilding projects. For this would help major ecosystems thrive. Every citizen can help the Chilean government fight environmental degradation, through the help of Tompkins Conservation.