Kris Tompkins

In 2003, CP had the opportunity to purchase Estancia Valle Chacabuco, a historic sheep ranch in Chile's Aysén Region. The Chilean National Parks had made this ranch their number-one conservation priority for more than 35 years because it sits between two existing National Reserves, namely Jeinimeni and Tamango, together 460,000 acres (190,000 ha). This area is prime habitat for the endangered huemul deer, one of Chile's national animals. After developing a public-access infrastructure system, including a trail system, visitor center, campgrounds, lodging, and a restaurant, CP will donate Patagonia Park to the Chilean park service. Along with the two adjoining National Reserves, this will become the Patagonia National Park, a flagship park for Latin America. Stretching between two of the country's largest lakes, Lago General Carrera and Lago Cochrane, the future park contains an impressive diversity of landscapes: arid Patagonian steppe, Southern Beech forests, wetlands, high peaks, alpine lakes, and streams. As the president of CP, Tompkins has been heavily involved in every aspect of this project, from landscape restoration to infrastructure construction.

In 2000, Kris founded Conservación Patagónica (CP), an NGO focused on creating new national parks in Patagonia that protect and restore wildlands, biodiversity, and communities. CP's first project was the establishment of Monte Leon National Park, Argentina’s first coastal national park. In 2001, CP purchased Estancia Monte León, one of the oldest sheep ranches in the Argentine Patagonia, located on the southern Atlantic shoreline a few hundred miles north of the Strait of Magellan. Monte León had long been one of the priorities for Argentine National Parks because of its richness and diversity of species, including Magellanic penguins, sea lions, elephant seals, leopard seals, and several migratory seabirds. CP purchased this 155,000-acre (63,000 ha) estancia, crafted a master plan for its transition to a national park and, in 2002, donated the property to the Argentine National Parks Administration, creating the Monte León National Park, the first coastal national park in Argentina.

In the early 1990s, Tompkins retired from Patagonia, married Douglas Tompkins (founder of The North Face and Esprit), turned her entrepreneurial talents to saving natural beauty and diversity in Chile and Argentina. Together, they protected more land than any other private individuals—more than 2 million acres (800,000 hectares). Their first project was the creation of Pumalin Park, a public-access 800,000-acre (320,000-hectare) nature reserve in Chile’s Los Lagos Region.

Beginning in 1973, Tompkins helped Yvon Chouinard turn his fledgling piton business into Patagonia, Inc. In 1980, Patagonia started to donate 10 percent of their profits to environmental organizations such as Earth First! In 1984, the company formed the "One Percent for the Planet Club", which donates either 1% of sales or 10% of profits—whichever is greater—to environmental causes.

Kristine McDivitt Tompkins (born in 1950, née Wear) is an American conservationist and former CEO of Patagonia, Inc. She is the widow of businessman and conservationist Douglas Tompkins, who died in 2015. The two worked together to create large wilderness conservation areas in Chile and Argentina. Kris continues with strong efforts in South America today, alongside those who have been with the various areas from the beginning, working to revert the lands to their original state.