Big Green Blues (Nature Conservancy)

The Washington Post ^ | May 12, 2003 | Editorial

[madfly]

Big Green Blues

IN ITS 52 YEARS, the Nature Conservancy has been a force for good in protecting the global environment. With its "bucks and acres" program to buy land and thereby promote biodiversity, the Conservancy -- with $3 billion in assets the world's richest environmental group -- has acquired millions of acres, and it manages millions more. Those good works notwithstanding, a series last week by Post reporters David B. Ottaway and Joe Stephens revealed a number of disturbing aspects about the Arlington-based group's operations.

One is the tricky position the organization has put itself in by taking contributions from corporations, many of which have sorry environmental records at best. The Conservancy's corporate donations, which include donations from The Washington Post Co., have soared in the past decade, and that money comes with a price: the opening of the Conservancy to accusations that corporate polluters are using its name to "greenwash" their activities and that it remains largely silent on issues such as drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and global warming to avoid antagonizing corporate sponsors.

[madfly]

ping

[firewalk]

bttt

[Numbers Guy]

The Nature Conservancy does things the right way: In order to protect lands, it goes out and BUYS the land. It doesn't seek regulation or new laws or file lawsuits to deny the current owners their right to use the land as they see fit. It does it the capitalistic way and becomes the owner of the land.

I have a good friend who has two bumper stickers on his truck: "Support The Nature Conservancy" and "Vote Libertarian". People think the two slogans are contradictory, but they aren't, the Nature Conservancy is perfectly compatible with libertarian ideas--if you want to protect some land, buy it and take it off limits to development.

So, of course, it figures that the Nature Conservancy be attacked from the left for somehow "selling out".

Why would the Nature Conservancy take a position on ANWR? Many of its rank and file supporters would support drilling there anyway. Besides, based on the Nature Conservancy's beliefs, the solution would not be to bar drilling, but to raise money and buy the land. You don't see any leftists proposing that, instead they want to use regulation.

[PrincessB]

Thanks for the brief education. I am a bit of a greenie,I grow my own herbs and veggies from non genetically engineered seeds I BOUGHT ON PURPOSE (simple supply/demand) and spend numerous hours at the local botanical garden. I didn't know that this is how the Nature Conservatory operated. I may review them for a donation :)

[beckett]

The Conservancy is also reexamining its "conservation buyers" program (in which it buys ecologically sensitive parcels, puts on development restrictions and sells the land at a discount) and the insider nature of some of its transactions with Conservancy trustees.

The "conservation buyers program" sounds like the program that David Letterman utilized to pull off the weird backdoor deal he got from the Nature's Conservancy for land in Martha's Vineyard.

According to the NY Post, Letterman tried to buy the over 200 acres on Martha's Vineyard from the former longtime owner, but local authorities decided to declare the land an ecologically fragile preserve, deny the sale to Letterman, and sell it to the Nature Conservancy instead.

Next thing you know Letterman buys the same tract of land from --- you guessed it --- the Nature Conservancy.

[okie01]

"Next thing you know Letterman buys the same tract of land from --- you guessed it --- the Nature Conservancy."

Only after a large contribution (tax deductible) by Letterman to the Nature Conservancy. A large contribution...

[madfly]

Yes, it's exactly that! The Letterman deal is in one of the articles that ran in the 3 day series by the Washington Postl.

Start at "cover page" link here:

BIG GREEN : Inside the Nature Conservancy Nonprofit Land Bank Amasses Billions

Also see this Landmark Legal request for investigation. Cong. Grassley and the Finance Committee will be going after TNC and EPA!

Landmark Calls for Probe into EPA Grants to Nature Conservancy

[Clinging Bitterly]

The Nature Concervancy is no longer all private money, as it used to be. There are large tax dollar grants mixed in these days. And the article referenced on this thread repeats accusations I have heard before. Sure, they are under attack by some of the more militant groups, but nevertheless, what's said about them is believeable.

And it's too bad. I used to consider them a pretty decent outfit, but I'm not so sure anymore.

Dave in Eugene

[c-b 1]

I may review them for a donation :)

Your review should include the article Range Magazine published on the nature conservancy, it is very long, and very informative. go here to download it.

http://www.rangemagazine.com/tnc/tnc-sp-03.htm

[F-117A]

Range - "Nature's Landlord"

[an amused spectator]

I'm shocked, shocked! ;-)

[There's millions of'em]

The Nature Conservancy's gig is nothing but a government sponsored scam:

1. Get property classified as environmentally fragile

2. NC buys it for "market value" (with pre sold contract in hand)

3. Rich person buys it fron NC at huge discount to "market value". AND makes a gift to NC of the delta between market value and selling price

4. Property has "development restrictions" but none that conflict with new buyer's intent or use

5. Rich person takes tax deduction on "gift" to NC

6. Rich person pays lower property taxes forever because property has meaningless "development restrictions"

7. Normal citizens think NC a good group and give them their hard earned money.

8. Corporations (owned and run by Rich persons) also give money to NC. hmmmm

[spunkets]

bump

[Jack Black]

According to the NY Post, Letterman tried to buy the over 200 acres on Martha's Vineyard from the former longtime owner, but local authorities decided to declare the land an ecologically fragile preserve, deny the sale to Letterman, and sell it to the Nature Conservancy instead. The owner should sue the local govt. for the difference in price between the Letterman offer and the price the Nature Conservancy paid PLUS the ammount Letterman paid that would be fair.

[NEWwoman]

Thanks for the ping on the Nature Conservancy articles. This group was real fishy - and I'm not talking about our scaled and finned friends.

[SierraWasp]

"instead they want to use regulation."

I hope you don't continue to stay wrapped up in your present naive opinion about these stealth EnvironMentalManipulators. They cleverly use regulator agencies, (instead of just regulation as you stated) complete with their infiltraitors, without the light of day and the oversite of CONgress, (our supposed representatives) to implement the Useless Nuisance (UN) Agenda 21 to thwart our national sovereignty.

Please take the time to consider other current threads on how the NC is scrambling to perpetuate the darkness with one of the world's greatest PR firms to stop the legal action just initiated by fellow FReeper "hold on now!"

You will not be the first FReeper to learn just how sinister this clever, but threatening organization has become.

[SierraWasp]

"I BOUGHT ON PURPOSE"

I sincerely hope you continue to study and search for truth. I hope that you expand your search beyond what you are being taught by the folks at the botanical gardens, the activists at the local health food store and at the University your attended.

Things are seldom as they appear to be to any of us, early in life. I'm not asking you to become cynical... just a little more skeptical. Your health will be far better protected with a few seeds of curious skepticism than through all the organically grown herbs and veggies from those non genetically engineered seeds you are wasting your money on.

And speaking of "health," you might better protect your "wealth" by directing you donations to a far more deserving cause than the "rural cleansing" and "tradegy of the commons," cause the Nature Conservancy is embarked upon.

May I recommend you check out NaturalProcess.net to begin the re-learning process on how we can all REALLY protect our planet, without further raping our Constitution.

[VOA]

bump

[Tailback]

How much do the top ten execs at the NC make a year? I bet it's significantly more than just a "living" wage. Another typical liberal shakedown scam.