Terms of Use

Terms of Use

The following outlines the terms of use for www.wilderness.org and related Wilderness Society websites, applications and features.

1. General

The website at [http://www.wilderness.org] (the “Site”) is owned by The Wilderness Society, and periodically contains information by or about The Wilderness Society and its affiliates (The Wilderness Society and its affiliates, along with their respective employees, are collectively “we”, “us”, or “Wilderness”). This Site also contains information provided by guests who contribute to the Site (“Contributors”) and who are not employed by The Wilderness Society. Accessing the Site, in any manner, whether automated or otherwise, constitutes use of the Site and your agreement to be bound by these Terms of Service. By using the Site, you agree to use the Site in accordance with these Terms of Service, and any additional terms and conditions that may apply to specific sections of the Site or to products and services available on or through the Site.

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time, in which case the revised Terms of Service will appear on the Site. Continued use of the Site after we post any such changes will constitute your acceptance of the Terms of Service, as modified.

This Site is not intended for use by children under the age of 13.

2. Intellectual Property Rights

(A) The Wilderness Society’s Limited License to You. This Site and all the materials contained on it, including the “look and feel” of the Site, are our property and/or the property of our licensors, and are protected by copyright, trademark and other intellectual property laws. We provide the Site for personal noncommercial use only. You may only use this Site and the materials on it as authorized by us. You may not use this Site or the materials on it in any manner that violates the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, trademark rights, patent rights, contract rights or any other rights belonging to us or a third party. You may not decipher, decompile, disassemble, or reverse-engineer any of the software that comprises this Site. Unless authorized in these Terms of Service or by the owner of the materials, you may not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, translate, sell, create derivative works, exploit or distribute in any manner or medium (including by email or other electronic means) any material from the Site, except that you may make a single print or electronic copy of the information provided on this Site solely for your personal non-commercial use.

Wilderness.org publishes original content on a wide variety of topics and evaluates reprint requests on an individual basis. For permission to reprint or republish content from Wilderness.org, please contact us by mail, phone or email and include the information listed below. All information is required in order for your request to be considered:

  • Full Name
  • Title
  • Organization
  • Address
  • City, State, Zip or Postal Code
  • Country
  • Phone
  • Email
  • URL
  • Article Title
  • Purpose of reprint
  • Approximate circulation
  • Response requested by

Wilderness.org reserves the right to refuse any request for permission to use or to republish content. Please be aware that in order for any permission that may be granted to be effective, the content or article must be reproduced entirely in the form in which it appeared on Wilderness.org with not additions, deletions or other modifications. The content must be credited to Wilderness.org as follows: Reprinted with permission of Wilderness.org. Any grant of permission to republish or reprint does not constitute or imply any endorsement by Wilderness.org or The Wilderness Society.

(B) Your License to The Wilderness Society. By posting or submitting any material (including, without limitation, text, photos and videos) to the Site, you represent and warrant: that you are the owner of the material or that the owner of the material has consented to your use. You will be solely responsible for any damages resulting from any infringement of copyrights, proprietary rights or any other harm resulting from any uploading, posting or submission.

When you submit or post material, you grant to us the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display it (in whole or in part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media or technology. This grant shall include the right to exploit any proprietary rights in any such material. We reserve the right to delete any content on the Site at any time and we will not be liable for any deletion (whether intentional or inadvertent) of any content from the Site.

(C) Notice of Copyright Infringement. If you are a copyright owner who believes your copyrighted material has been reproduced, posted or distributed via the Site in a manner that constitutes copyright infringement, please report the violation to our designated copyright agent by sending written notice by U.S. Mail to The Wilderness Society, Attn: Senior Director of Digital Strategy, or via email. Please note that the contact information provided in this paragraph should only be used for reporting alleged copyright infringement. Contact information for other matters is provided elsewhere in these Terms of Service or on the Site.

Please include the following information in your written notice:

(1) a detailed description of the copyrighted work that is allegedly infringed;

(2) a description of the location of the allegedly infringing material on the Site;

(3) your contact information, including your address, telephone number, and, if available, email address;

(4) your statement that you have a good-faith belief that the allegedly infringing use is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law;

(5) your statement, made under penalty of perjury, affirming that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are authorized to act on the copyright owner’s behalf; and

(6) an electronic or physical signature of the copyright owner or someone authorized on the owner’s behalf to assert infringement of copyright and to submit the statement.

(D) Restrictions on Linking and Framing. You may establish a hypertext link to the Site, provided that the link does not state or imply any sponsorship of your site by The Wilderness Society. However, you may not frame or inline link to any of the content of the Site, or incorporate into another website or other service any of our material or intellectual property without the written permission of The Wilderness Society.

3. Commenting and other interactive features

This Site may include interactive features, including, but not limited to, message boards, web logs, online discussion groups, email services, and areas that allow uploading of user-generated content (the “Interactive Features”). You are responsible for any material that you post on message boards or provide through any other Interactive Features on the Site. We do not control the messages, information or files that you or others may provide through the Site.

You shall use this Site, including its Interactive Features for lawful purposes only. In addition, you shall not:

  • Engage in advertising or commercial solicitation of any product or service, or solicit donations or petitions for signatures of any kind on the Site, without our written consent.
  • Make any statement on the Site for the purpose of influencing the price or value of stocks, securities, or other personal investments.
  • Use the Site to provide personal financial advice to other users. (However, providing general information regarding financial matters is permissible.)
  • Gather for marketing purposes any email addresses or other personal information that has been posted by other users of the Site.
  • Engage in any conduct that, in our sole judgment, restricts or inhibits any other user from using or enjoying the Site.
  • Use the Site to post, transmit or in any way exploit any information, software or other material for commercial purposes, or that contains advertising.
  • Use this Site to post surveys, contests, pyramid schemes, chain letters, or spam (including, without limitation, posting repetitive information, information unrelated to the topic of a message board or forum, or information containing inaccurate or misleading links, titles, or descriptions).
  • Post or transmit any material that violates our rights or the rights of others, including, without limitation, privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, trademark rights, patent rights, contract rights, or any other right.
  • Use the Site to impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity.
  • Use the Site in an unlawful, threatening, or abusive manner, including without limitation, to promote racism, bigotry, hatred or physical harm of any kind against any group or individual.
  • Use the Site to post or transmit any vulgar, obscene, or otherwise objectionable content of any kind, including without limitation, any transmissions that encourage conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any law.
  • Gain unauthorized access to the Site, or any account, computer system, or network connected to this Site, by means such as hacking, password mining or other illicit means.
  • Interfere with or disrupt any servers or networks used to provide the Site or its features, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of the networks we use to provide the Site.
  • Obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information not intentionally made available through this Site.
  • Use the Site to post or transmit any information, software or other material that contains a virus or other harmful component.

We shall have the right, but no obligation, to monitor the content of the message boards or other Interactive Features to determine compliance with this Agreement and any other operating rules we establish. We reserve the right at all times to disclose any information we believe necessary to satisfy any law, regulation or governmental request, or to refuse to post or to remove any information or materials, in whole or in part, that in our sole discretion are inappropriate, objectionable or in violation of these Terms of Service. Notwithstanding this right, users shall remain solely responsible for the content of their messages. We neither endorse nor are responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion or statement on the message boards or other Interactive Features of the Site, whether it is provided by us, our employees, the Contributors, or a third party. Under no circumstances will The Wilderness Society or the Contributors be liable for any loss or damage of any kind caused by reliance on information obtained through postings on the message boards or other Interactive Features of the Site. We also reserve the right to deny access to the Site or any features of the Site to anyone who violates these Terms of Service or who, in our sole judgment, interferes with the ability of others to enjoy our website or infringes the rights of others. Neither we nor any third party content provider shall assume or have any liability for any action or inaction by us or any third party content provider with respect to any conduct, communication or posting on the message boards or other Interactive Features of the Site.

4. Personal information

To access certain features of the Site, we may ask you to provide information such as, for example, your name, email address, telephone number, home address and year of birth. You will provide true, accurate, current and complete information about yourself for any registration form located on the Site. If we suspect that information you provide is untrue, inaccurate or incomplete, we may, in our sole discretion, suspend your use of those areas of the Site. Our use of any personally identifiable information you provide to us as part of the registration process is governed by the terms of our Privacy Policy (http://wilderness.org/privacy-policy).

You may need to submit an email address or user ID to use certain features of the Site. Users between the ages of 13-17 are not permitted to interact with user-generated content on this Site, but are welcome to enjoy the other features of the Site that are available to unregistered users. By submitting your information via the Site, you agree that you will not (i) select or use an ID or e-mail address of another person with the intent to impersonate that person; (ii) use an ID or e-mail address subject to the rights of any person without authorization; (iii) use an ID or email address in violation of the intellectual property rights of any person; or (iv) use an ID or email address or ID that we, in our sole discretion, deem inappropriate or offensive. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your ID and email address, and are responsible for all activities (whether by you or by others) that occur under your password or account. You will notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your ID or email address. We assume no liability for any loss or damage arising from any unauthorized use of your password or account by a third party.

5. Use of Directories

The information contained in any directories that may be provided on the Site is provided for visitor information only and is not to be used for marketing or telemarketing applications. This information may not be copied or redistributed and is provided “AS IS” without warranty of any kind. Neither we, nor our suppliers, will be liable in any way with regard to such information.

6. Disclaimers

The Site may provide links to web sites maintained by third parties. Any information, products, software or services provided on or through third-party sites are controlled by the operators of such sites and not by us or our subsidiary companies. When you access these third-party sites, you do so at your own risk.

THE INFORMATION, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OFFERED ON OR THROUGH THE SITE ARE PROVIDED TO USERS ON AN “AS IS” BASIS AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, WE DISCLAIM

(I) ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE;

(II) LIABILITY FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGES, OR INJURY CAUSED BY ANY USE OF THE SITE OR ANY THIRD-PARTY SITE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY LIABILITY ARISING FROM ANY FAILURE, ERROR, OMISSION, INTERRUPTION, DELETION, DEFECT OR DELAY IN THE SITE, WHETHER UNDER CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, OR ANY OTHER CAUSE OF ACTION;

(III) LIABILITY FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE OR INJURY CAUSED BY RELIANCE ON INFORMATION OBTAINED THROUGH THE SITE OR ANY THIRD-PARTY SITES.

The Wilderness Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting wilderness and inspiring Americans to care for wild places. We deliver value through information, advocacy and service.

7. No Personal Advice

This Site is designed to provide general information concerning wilderness matters, but does not provide personal political, health or other advice. All information contained on this Site, including any statements or opinions provided by Contributors, are for general informational purposes only. The information on this Site is not intended for advisory purposes or for commercial use. The Site should not be used in any high-risk activities where damage or injury to persons, property, environment, finances or business may result if an error occurs. You assume any and all risk for your use of information provided on the Site.

8. Online Commerce

Certain sections of the Site may provide links to sites of third parties where you may be able to purchase online many different types of products and services that are provided by third parties. We are not responsible for the quality, accuracy, timeliness, reliability or any other aspect of any product or service offered or provided by a third party. If you make a purchase from a merchant on a site linked to by the Site, the information obtained during your visit to that merchant’s online store or site, and the information that you give as part of the transaction, such as your credit card number and contact information, may be collected by the merchant. A merchant that offers or sells products or services through the Site may have privacy and data collection practices that are different from ours. We have no responsibility or liability for these independent policies. Additionally, when you purchase products or services on or through the Site, you may be subject to additional terms and conditions that specifically apply to your purchase or use of such products or services. For more information about a merchant, its online store, its privacy policies, and/or any additional terms and conditions that may apply, visit that merchant’s website and click on its information links or contact the merchant directly.

9. Limitation of Liability

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NEGLIGENCE, SHALL WE BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM THE USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, THE SITE, INCLUDING ITS MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, OR SERVICES, OR THIRD-PARTY MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, OR SERVICES MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SITE, EVEN IF WE ARE ADVISED BEFOREHAND OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. (BECAUSE SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN SUCH STATES, OUR LIABILITY AND THE LIABILITY OF OUR SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES OR AFFILIATES IS LIMITED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT THAT IT CAN BE LIMITED UNDER SUCH STATE LAW.)

IN NO EVENT WILL WE OR ANY PERSON OR ENTITY INVOLVED IN CREATING, PRODUCING OR DISTRIBUTING THE SITE OR RELATED ONLINE SERVICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE INTERACTIVE FEATURES, OR OUT OF THE BREACH OF ANY WARRANTY.

IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE SITE, ANY MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, OR SERVICES ON THE SITE, OR WITH ANY OF THE SITE’S TERMS AND CONDITIONS, YOUR SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE SITE.

10. Other Terms

This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between us and you with respect to the subject matter contained in this Agreement and supersedes all previous and contemporaneous agreements, proposals and communications, written oral. You also may be subject to additional terms and conditions that may apply when you purchase and/or use the products or services of a third party that may be provided on or through the Site. In the event of any conflict between any such third-party terms and conditions and these Terms of Service, these Terms of Service shall govern. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the District of Columbia without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of law. If any provision of this Agreement shall be found unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this Agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. The foregoing provisions of these Terms of Service are for our benefit and the benefits of our affiliates, third party content providers and licensors, and each shall have the right to assert and enforce such provisions directly on its own behalf.

If you ever have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding the Terms of Service above, please contact us by one of the following methods:

  • Call us at 202-833-2300
  • Mail us at:

    The Wilderness Society

    1801 Penn. Ave NW, Suite 200

    Washington, DC 20006