ABOUT THE INTIATIVE
45 YEARS AGO, Umpqua opened its doors with the mission of providing anglers the world’s highest quality flies and fishing products. But instead of throwing parties and eating cake, we’ve decided to give something back to the resources that enable us to pursue fishing both in the workplace and on the water. We continue our legacy of giving back by launching a major initiative to raise $45,000 which will be used for the conservation and restoration of “America’s Salmon Forest” — the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska — home of one of the world’s largest wild Pacific Salmon and Trout populations…
Throughout the rest of this year and all of 2017, we will be launching a variety of efforts to raise the $45,000 we have committed to the initiative. Among these efforts are: donating proceeds from the sales of our Tongass line of waterproof packs and bags as well as Tongass branded items, apparel and art; collaborative membership drive incentives with fishing/recreational organizations; celebrity auctions and; soliciting direct individual and group contributions from the public.
Ultimately, the raised funds will be used in two distinct ways to benefit America's Salmon Forest. In partnering with three outstanding organizations, we intend to increase the public's overall awareness of these critical resources and subsequently provide urgently needed funds to one or more projects happening in the Tongass National Forest with a specific focus on fish habitat and population protection.
While this is a fundraising effort in which the total amount of funds raised being hard to predict, Umpqua is committed to the $45,000 amount. Should we exceed the proposed amount, all of the raised moneys will go towards the benefit of America's Salmon Forest. Allocation of the projected amount is as follows…
$10,000 FOR EDUCATION AND AWARENESS —
Working with the Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska, we are allocating $10,000 of the funds to go towards raising awareness and providing education about the Tongass National Forest and its recreational activities. The funds will be used to create vehicles and content to be used in a variety of awareness and educational initiatives.
$35,000 FOR CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION —
In collaboration with Trout Unlimited and the American Salmon Forest Coalition, we are allocating $35,000 that will be used to improve spawning and rearing habitat in the Tongass National Forest. Through various grants and fund matching programs, we are hoping that this amount may double or even triple resulting in a substantial amount of money that will be used to fund one or more specific conservation and/or restoration projects within the Tongass National Forest.
The conservation and restoration work will be conducted by the US Forest Service and Trout Unlimited, and while the specific projects have yet to be designated, we have been assured that all funds raised through this initiative will be applied directly to projects that focus on fish habitats and populations within the Tongass 77 watersheds. Possible projects may include creating or recreating ideal structures in waterways that have been eliminated through human development, or the removal of blocked culverts or other hindrances to fish passage.
