The projects we have funded and coordinated are too numerous to list, but the following lists some of the major successes of our conservation program had had in recent years:

• Helped Roger Robinson, a long-time AAC member and NPS ranger at Denali National Park, develop, test and purchase "Clean Mountain Cans" that are now required for transporting human waste off of high camp on Mount McKinley. AAC conservation grants of more than $7,350 provided the majority of funding to develop this program, which was awarded the "2002 Alaska Excellence Award" by the NPS as the most significant contribution to resource stewardship in the Alaska Region. [Photo: Self-portrait of Roger Robinson and a pile of CMCs at the 14,200-foot ranger camp. Photo copyright Roger Robinson/NPS]
   
• The AAC recently committed to contributing $21,600 to fund the first year of the Mountain Institute's five-year conservation and restoration project in Nepal's Imja Khola valley, which is a popular corridor for trekkers and climbers on their way to Everest Base Camp and Island Peak. The project aims to reserve deforestation of native juniper shrubs in the fragile alpine areas by changing local behaviors regarding harvesting juniper, providing financial incentives for use of alternate fuels, building shelters for porters in the major trekking villages, constructing enclosures in priority areas to facilitate more rapid growth of vegetation, and educating tourists about the need to protect and restore fragile alpine zones.
   
• Funded the development and printing of the Yosemite "Big Wall" brochure that covers safety and conservation practices for big wall climbing in Yosemite. The brochure has been updated several times and is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Korean.
   
• Co-hosted with five other outdoor-related organization the first-ever National Mountain Conference in 2000, a three-day conference that highlighted the threats facing the world's mountains and developed a critical issues list for future action. The summary contains a complete report of the conference speakers and accomplishments.
   
• Published "Gentle Expeditions: A Guide to Environmentally Sound Mountain Travel" by Bob McConnell. This concise handbook explains the problems generated by climbers, then explains how to plan and pull off an environmentally proactive expedition. Available for $10 from www.mountaineersbooks.com.
   
• Established the Scott Fischer Memorial Conservation Fund in 1996 to help support environmentally proactive expedition to the greater ranges.
   
• Provided a grant to the 1990 Everest Environmental Expedition that cleaned up one ton of debris from base camp on the Tibetan side of Everest.
   
• Sponsored and funded a 1995 cleanup of the Nose route on El Capital by Eve Tallman and students from Prescott College.
   
• Established the David Brower Conservation Award in 1991 to recognize those individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of mountain conservation. The award is named after David Brower, a leading American climber and the most prominent conservationist in the post-World War II period.

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