Global conservation nonprofit partners with USU conservation institute with $100K investment

LOGAN — Utah State University’s Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air on Tuesday announced a $100,000 partnership with The Nature Conservancy.

Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit with a mission of environmental conservation and stewardship.

“Anyone that does work in this realm knows The Nature Conservancy is at the top of the game and has both … dedicated people to making differences on the ground, as well as just really smart people thinking about how to do things well,” said Brian Steed, executive director of the institute. “Based on our interests, I think that we both thought there was some mutual gain to having a formal partnership working together, and we’re really excited to see it come to fruition.”

The Nature Conservancy’s $100,000 investment in the institute will support its mission of finding science-based solutions for some of the most pressing environmental challenges facing the Beehive State.

“We’re consistently looking for on-the-ground solutions for conservation work. That’s kind of on brand for what the Nature Conservancy does,” Steed said. “It (the partnership) allows us to engage scientists and policymakers as well as community leaders and to conduct research to help people understand the needs, as well as some of the potential solutions for environmental issues that we encounter as a state and nation.

Additionally, the collaboration is mutually beneficial, as the institute’s vision complements The Nature Conservancy’s mission “to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.”

Both organizations emphasize using science to inform policy decisions and approach Utah’s environmental challenges not as isolated issues, but as part of a connected whole.

“This investment is a testament to the power of collaboration in the face of daunting environmental challenges,” Elizabeth Kitchens, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Utah, said in a statement. “The institute’s focus on research and innovation is a perfect complement to our on-the-ground conservation work. By combining our efforts, we can find and implement the smart, sustainable solutions that Utah needs.”

Funding from The Nature Conservancy will also support the institute’s projects and programs, specifically those focused on addressing water scarcity and solving Utah’s environmental challenges.

Since it was founded in 2021, the institute has partnered with the Great Salt Lake Strike Team to provide needed science on the lake; spearheaded a major research program to address Bear Lake opportunities and challenges; founded the Colorado River Collaborative to build awareness of issues facing the river along with potential solutions and engaged with Utah’s business community to support innovative air and water practices, according to a release from the institute.

Steed sees the partnership as something that will benefit every Utahn, no matter where they live.

“Everyone fundamentally cares about our land, water and air to some degree. Good policy comes from good data,” Steed said. “You can’t have good policy without good data. Really, this partnership between The Nature Conservancy and the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air facilitates, really, the sharing of ideas, a sharing of workload, and a sharing of efforts, trying to get the best policy decision on the ground, to find those win-wins for both people and the environment.”