Alpine Conservation Partnership

In 2006 the Alpine Conservation Partnership (ACP) was born with the mission to “Protect and Restore the World’s Alpine Ecosystems.”  The partnership, formed between the American Alpine Club and The Mountain Institute, began after a proposal from Alton Byers, a member of the Mountain Institute, to investigate Juniper destruction in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal.  With the help of the American Alpine Club’s seed money and the Mountain Institute’s expertise in the area, what started out as a $20,000 grant turned into a $100,000 project.  It was this project that caught the attention of the Argosy Foundation, which then decided to provide a foundational grant to kick start the Alpine Conservation Partnership.  With this grant, the organization was able to extend its impact, and its reach to other fragile Alpine areas.  

Although the alpine makes up only three percent of the world’s ecosystem, it is extremely fragile, and small changes in temperature can make a huge impact on the region; in fact, according to Byers, “Alpine vegetation and landscapes are particularly sensitive to changes in climate, analogous to ‘canaries in the coal mine.’”  Although one could argue that such a minute ecosystem is not influential, it is of huge importance. The headwaters for most of the world’s major rivers – which provide water for drinking, agriculture, and hydropower – begin in the Alpine.  By recreating prized 1950s-era photographs of Swiss glaciologist Fritz Müller and Austrian mapmaker Erwin Schneider, Byers has documented massive changes to the glaciers where much of this water is stored.  With the realization of the fragility and importance of these regions, the ACP began its work to preserve and restore iconic mountain ecosystems approaching and rising above timberline.

Through much research, Byers discovered in 2007 that although landscapes below 4,000 meters were in good shape, those above 4,000 meters, the Alpine, were “being rapidly degraded and heavily impacted” (Alton Byers).  While many of the glacial regions in the study were beginning to melt as a result of global warming, lush hillsides were now bare from overharvesting.  Byers also noticed that many residents were aware of this problem yet had no funding or environmental support to help solve it.  After this discovery, the role of the ACP became critical.  Because the Mountain Institute often has staff that are from the same regions in which projects take place, the resident population were willing to trust those involved with the ACP.  This trust led to enormous change within local communities.

In addition to finding ways to conserve the Alpine and still meet the needs of its local people, the ACP became aware of the devastation caused by tourism. The area in which this devastation was seen the most was in the loss of Juniper plants – slow growing shrubs that were being used as fuel wood at the expense of the environment.  The ACP began seeking a way to reverse this deforestation.  

In 2007, the ACP decided to build the Khumbu Alpine Conservation Committee (KACC) Visitors Center to combat the harvesting of Juniper.  This center serves as a depot where trekking groups can purchase kerosene and rent stoves, rather than using Juniper as their primary source of fuel.  Here, visitors can not only purchase kerosene but can also learn more about the ACP, the region in which they are trekking, and even make a donation toward continuing the cause.  Although this depot was a small investment, its environmental outcome was significant.  The depot sales alone have saved 100,000 kilograms of Alpine shrub.  The burning of Juniper is now outlawed in these regions, asthe local people have taken a role in continuing the conservation process. 

Raising livestock, particularly yak, is a staple of life for residents.  Yak provide warm shawls with their coats and can also be used as a source of food.  Maintaining these creatures, however, requires that they graze consistently throughout the day.  Because the yak were grazing so frequently, much of the shrub in the Alpine region was disappearing.  With some education from the ACP, people were taught that their livestock could be managed in a way that is much more beneficial to the environment.  For instance, they learned how to limit where livestock graze.  When livestock are only allowed to graze in certain locations for short periods of time, the land is able to properly heal and reproduce shrub.  This practice has been an easy solution to reduce overgrazing and has ultimately increased shrub tremendously. Community members have also taken an active role in learning about the environment in which they live and how to better protect it by enrolling in classes geared toward this aim. 

The ACP has proved to be the pioneer in its field.  It is currently the only global conservation network that works solely for the Alpine environment.  Alton Byers and Phil Powers, Executive Director of The American Alpine Club, both believe that harsh weather conditions in the remote area have deterred others from working in the field: Byers writes, “Compared to rainforests, oceans, and coastal regions, Alpine environments throughout the world have been neglected by the international development and conservation communities alike, possibly because of their remoteness, high altitudes, harsh climates, and extremely difficult travel and working conditions.” Although these areas are often ignored, they are crucial to hold on to, as they provide millions of people with fresh drinking water and sustain a diversity of life.