Chile Is Turning 11 Million Acres of Land Into National Parks
Chile is a massive country known for its beautiful nature and over 6000 kilometers of coastline. In order to protect its breathtaking landscapes and preserve them for generations to come, the Chilean government is creating 5 new national parks. These green efforts are possible in part thanks to the largest land donation ever from a private entity to a country.
The Tompkins Foundation, which was established by Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, former CEO of Patagonia, and the late Doug Tompkins, the co-founder of North Face and Esprit, donated 1 million acres of land, with the government vowing to give an additional 10 million acres as part of the “re-wilding” of Patagonia.
The total area of protected land will be larger than all of Denmark and three times larger than Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks in the US combined. The government expects that this massive addition to the country’s national park system will give a boost to Chile’s ecotourism, generating an estimated $270 million per year in revenue and providing over 40,000 jobs to locals.
The new parks include a diverse collection of the wide range of ecosystems that can be found in Chile from volcanoes in the north to glaciers in the south. Let’s hope that many other countries will look at this inspiring preservation initiative and start similar projects.
