Since 2005, Walmart has partnered with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to fund a program called Acres for America. At its outset, Walmart promised the program would conserve a single acre of wildlife habitat for every acre of land it developed. It has far exceeded that goal in the last 2 decades. Over the next decade, Walmart has committed to taking the program even further.
On Nov. 21, 2024, it announced a 10-year, $34.5 million commitment to extend its work with NFWF, supporting Acres for America. In addition to Walmart’s previous donations, this is now the largest contribution to an NFWF program in the Foundation’s 40-year history. NFWF said this initiative is now a leading public-private land conservation partnership in the U.S.
“Acres for America not only permanently protects land across the country that’s significant for nature and wildlife,” Ryan Pettigrew, senior manager for Acres for America at Walmart told GearJunkie. “It also enables local management and public access to the land, so that generations to come can enjoy our natural resources.”
Walmart’s Acres for America: 10 Years, 2 Million Acres Protected
Acres for America has funded 126 projects in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in the last 20 years. Through those, it has protected over 2 million acres to support the conservation habitats for birds, fish, plants, and wildlife. Those spaces also provide local access to the outdoors and support economies that depend on forestry, ranching, and recreation.
“This is such an important program for large-scale conservation projects across the nation, and this 10-year renewal will allow us to continue to support and catalyze the permanent protection of lands and wildlife habitat of national significance,” Chris West, director of the Rocky Mountain Regional Office for the NFWF told GearJunkie. “These are such amazing projects.”
West said one of the coolest parts of Acres for America is that it is sometimes the key private financing that can help take a conservation project from a vision to a reality.
“Sometimes it’s the final piece of the puzzle, the funding that is needed to close the deal,” he said.
This year, there are seven new Acres for America grants totaling $4 million. They were awarded to projects in California, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. Together, they will protect more than 100,000 acres of wildlife habitat.
Connected and Protected: Acres for America Projects
How does NFWF select the project it plans to pursue through Acres for America? According to West, it runs an annual Request for Proposals to attract projects that need funding.
Conservation experts evaluate those based on things like quality of wildlife habitat, and connectivity to other protected lands. They also consider the impact on local communities (such as access to nature, watershed protection, flood risk reduction, etc.).
West said it varies from project to project, but he noted that generally, “many of these projects are or will be open for the public to enjoy, for all sorts of opportunities from hunting and fishing, biking, hiking and wildlife viewing.”
Walmart’s $70 million investment, along with federal, state, and local funding, has generated more than $1.2 billion in total matching contributions.
“Walmart’s sustained commitment to conservation is as inspirational as it is significant,” Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF, said in a press release. “The company has helped make more than 125 projects a reality from Maine to California and everywhere in between. Thousands of species of our native wildlife are dependent on the habitats protected and connected by Acres for America projects.”
To see a map of all the Acres for America projects, check out the NFWF webpage. The website also lists many grant opportunities for other conservation initiatives and organizations.
“I’m proud of what the program has accomplished in its first 20 years,” Pettigrew said. “In the next 10 years, we’re excited about our continued work with NFWF to protect even more special places across the country.”
