The Patagonia National Park Project consists of four major program areas: buying land, restoring
biodiversity, building public access, and engaging communities.
Buying land Originally one of the region's largest sheep ranches,
Estancia Valle Chacabuco changed hands many times over the 20th century. British explorer
Lucas Bridges established the area as ranchland in 1908. In 1964, under the administration of
Eduardo Frei Montalva, the land was expropriated and divided among several local families. The
Pinochet administration later reclaimed the land, which was subsequently sold to Belgian landowner Francoise de Smet in 1980.
Kris and
Doug Tompkins first visited the Chacabuco Valley in 1995.
CONAF (Chile's National Forest Corporation) had listed the Chacabuco Valley as a top conservation priority for over 30 years due to its unique array of native ecosystems. In 2004, after two decades of declining profits,
Conservación Patagónica (now Tompkins Conservation) purchased the Estancia Valle Chacabuco from de Smet and began acquiring smaller holdings from willing sellers in the Chacabuco Valley, with the aim of creating a continuous reserve to connect with the nearby Jeinimeni and Lago Cochrane (Tamango) national reserves.
Restoring biodiversity The Chacabuco Valley, the heart of Patagonia National Park, was for generations a vast sheep and cattle ranch, with almost 25,000 animals being raised on the land annually. The native grasslands were degraded by years of intense livestock grazing, leading to desertification of the soils and the decline of wildlife populations native to the grasslands. With the purchase of the Estancia in 2004,
Conservación Patagónica began removing fencing and re-seeding former pastures with native grasses, opening up the land for native species such as the
guanaco and the endangered
huemul deer. In 2022,
Conservación Patagónica identified the recovery of the huemul as a top priority, as the park's population of 100–200 individuals was one of the largest known surviving populations on Earth.
Ecosystem Restoration Patagonia has experienced significant ecological degradation due to intensive sheep ranching on its sandy arid soils, resulting in widespread
desertification. In transitioning from a sheep ranch to a national park, Conservación Patagónica aimed to reverse these damages, restore productive habitat, and create a model of ecosystem restoration for Patagonia. The grasslands recovery program, launched in 2004, began with the removal of almost all livestock. Conservación Patagónica's volunteer program performed much of the ecosystem restoration work. By 2011, they had removed over half of the 640 kilometers (400 miles) of habitat-fragmenting ranch fencing. Volunteers also collected seeds from native coirón grasses, which were used to re-seed heavily damaged areas by professional ecosystem restoration workers.
Wildlife Recovery Conservación Patagónica's large-scale ecosystem restoration work, now carried out by Rewilding Chile, serves as the foundation for targeted species-specific programs, such as efforts to monitor and protect the endangered huemul deer. As the area returns to a more natural state, populations of
keystone species are finding a new equilibrium. With livestock removed, grasslands are producing more and higher quality food for a range of herbivores, which now have access to prime habitats and can roam freely without fences. Wildlife recovery programs build on this ecosystem-level transition to protect keystone species. The huemul deer is a top priority for the Patagonia National Park project; habitat loss, diseases transmitted from livestock, hunting, and predation by domestic dogs have reduced its population to around 1,500 individuals. Tracking
pumas with GPS collars provides new information about their predation patterns, home ranges, and movements, which is critical given their proximity to the huemul deer population. Conservación Patagónica also implemented strategies such as using livestock guardian dogs to mitigate predator-livestock conflicts.
Building public access A major focus of the Patagonia National Park project was constructing durable, accessible public infrastructure to provide visitors with a comfortable and engaging experience at the park. The project included building a park headquarters that features overnight accommodations, a restaurant, a museum, and a visitor center. The architecture reflects historic Patagonian styles and uses local materials, such as on-site quarried stone and recycled wood, to ensure durability and minimal upkeep. Additionally, an innovative renewable energy system, composed of solar, wind, and mini-hydro generation facilities, makes the park energy-independent and minimizes its
carbon footprint. Trails and campgrounds were also constructed to allow visitors to access the wilderness areas of the park and the neighboring reserves. These efforts aimed to bolster ecotourism in the region, support local businesses, and foster a deeper respect for nature among visitors.
Engaging communities From the beginning of the project, collaborations were developed with neighboring communities to increase local visits to the park, provide employment opportunities, and facilitate the development of a successful ecotourism economy. Efforts to engage the community included offering jobs to former gauchos and retraining them as park rangers and conservation workers. A school outreach program brings local children into the park to learn about endangered species such as the huemul deer and the benefits of conservation. Conservación Patagónica also hosts an annual Huemul Festival and hike, and has provided scholarships, known as Huemul scholarships, allowing over fifty students to continue their studies. == Ecology ==