48 Kauai Species Protected Under the Endangered Species Act

Honolulu — In response to a 2004 petition and two lawsuits from the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it is finalizing listing for 48 species from the island of Kauai with designation of critical habitat. Most of the species are plants, and many have been waiting decades for protection. Two birds, Akekee (Kauai akepa) and Akikiki (Kauai creeper), were also included.

"Protection for these 48 species is long overdue," said Tierra Curry, conservation biologist at the Center for Biological Diversity. "These 48 highly endangered species now have a shot at survival and recovery."

To read the full article here.

Connect Grants- Deadline Extended!

Connect Grants for Culturally Diverse Communities provide Leave No Trace educational materials, training and partnership to programs working with multicultural communities.

The deadline this year has been extended to November 1, 2009.

For more information on Connect, and to apply, please visit: http://lnt.org/programs/connect_grants.php

View the photos below for information on past recipients. Please direct any questions, comments or inquiries to grants@LNT.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Welcome to the New Partners of Leave No Trace!

The beauty of the partnership community at Leave No Trace is that there is a place for virtually any entity to support the organization. The result? One diverse community of partners at the Leave No Trace table - from environmental and recreational groups, to food companies, outdoor industry partners, guides and more. We're one interesting and passionate bunch here at Leave No Trace - and here are the newest groups to join the Small Business Partner community.

5430 Sports
5430 Sports is a leading developer and organizer of sport-based events. With a focus on multisport endurance races, 5430 produces high quality, premiere races for the beginner, as well as elite competitors.

Catamount Lodge and Forest
The Catamount property in upstate New York provides opportunities for families and groups to stay overnight, host events and enjoy the outdoors, all while enjoying the beauty of the region. Near to Carry Falls Reservoir and the South Colton, outdoor opportunities abound from hiking and fishing, to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Grand Trunk
Grand Trunk’s goal is to create products that are useful whether you are camping, traveling, care about the environment, hanging in your backyard, or playing at the beach. These versatile hammocks are the creation from these inspirations, and are both useful and inspiring.

Ledo Environmental
Looking to dispose of waste properly? Check out the Biffy Bag from Ledo Environmental, an environmentally-friendly solution to packing out your waste.

Interested in a partnership with Leave No Trace? Check out our Partners page for more information, or contact Sara (sara@LNT.org) or Catherine (Catherine@LNT.org).

Connect Grants for Diverse Communities

With help from REI last year, Leave No Trace introduced a very important new program called “Connect Grants.” The program was constructed to provide grants that diversified Leave No Trace educational efforts and increased the pool of leaders/educators serving a wider cross-section of Americans.

The Connect Grants program made some important inroads in our ability to reach out to communities that we did not traditionally and directly serve. Seven grants were awarded to extraordinary people and organizations across the country. A few highlights included Leave No Trace resources for: 1. an after school outdoor program called Identity serving at-risk Latino youth in Gaithersburg, Maryland; 2. work with Boys and Girls Clubs in Nevada and Virginia 3. resources for Los Angeles Latino high schoolers involved with outdoor stewardship work.

This year, we’re expanding the Connect Grants program. If you are a good candidate for a Connect Grant or if you know someone or an organization that is, look for 2008 information in late February at LNT.org.