Utah’s High West Distillery recently announced its “Protect the West” initiative, a $1-million commitment over the next three years to protect Western land and its inhabitants.
The announcement comes alongside the national release of High West’s seasonal whiskey bottle, Campfire.
In honor of Campfire, the first of the Protect the West donations will go towards the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting those who run towards the fire, including the wildfires increasingly burning the Western United States.
A statement from High West explained that since its founding in 2007, the team of whiskey-makers has witnessed firsthand how the West has been affected by a rapidly changing climate, resulting in higher temperatures, severe droughts, drier forests and reduced snowpack.
To date, High West has donated more than a million dollars to nonprofits, with the majority of those funds going toward organizations protecting the West and its inhabitants.
High West, it is said, is now reaffirming and strengthening that million-dollar commitment to its own backyard.
As part of the Protect the West initiative, High West will partner with organizations whose conservation efforts fall into three focus areas: the fight against wildfires, protecting winters, and wildland preservation.
“Now is not the time for us to sit on the sidelines. Our home in the West and everything we love about it is in more and more danger every year,” said Daniel Schear, general manager of High West. “We’re building on our past work with this $1-million commitment to protect the West, and we are excited to work with those who are also passionate about saving this beautiful part of the world we call home.”
Trending Stories
The $150,000 inaugural donation will be split between three organizations to support them in their missions. Future donations will be announced over the next three years as High West continues to identify and support organizations working to Protect the West.
- Wildland Firefighter Foundation is dedicated to helping the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and to assisting injured firefighters and their families.
- Protect Our Winters is a community of athletes, scientists, creatives, and business leaders advancing non-partisan policies to protect outdoor playgrounds from climate change.
- American Prairie is creating the largest nature reserve in the contiguous United States by purchasing critical habitat that connects a vast network of existing public lands for wildlife conservation and public access.
As they put out their Campfire release, and continue to support the protectors who serve every day to defend the public from devastating fires, High West is donating $50,000 to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and matching consumer donations up to an additional $50,000.
The donation to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation will directly benefit the families of fallen and injured firefighters.
Available nationally, High West Campfire (suggested retail of $79.99) is a blend of Scotch, bourbon and whiskey with what’s described as a complex flavor profile, including notes of s’mores, burnt almond toffee, mocha and tobacco, balsam fir needles, and woodsmoke.
For more information, or to donate to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, check out www.highwest.com/pages/protect-the-west.
Latest News