Industry News

Doug Tompkins, the renowned conservationist and co-founder of The North Face, died Tuesday in a kayaking accident in Lake General Carrera, on the Chilean side of Patagonia. Tompkins founded the Foundation for Deep Ecology in 1990 and The Conservation Land Trust in 1992. His wife Kristine founded Conservacion Patagonica in 2000, and Tompkins is credited with starting Patagonia National Park, which, when completed, will be the largest in Chile, spanning 650,000 acres in the Chacabuco Valley. Together the Tompkins’ have reportedly protected more land than any other private individuals in history. 

SIA sends our heartfelt sympathies to Doug Tompkins’ family and friends. Please read this tribute from The North Face for more information, and to learn more about the Tompkins’ conservation efforts, visit the Tompkins Conservation website.

 Doug Tompkins, founder of The North Face, was a renowned conservationist in Patagonia
Photo: Daniel Garcia/AFP/Getty Images