With Patrick Crow
from Washington, D.C.
The environmental movement's annual Earth Day celebration came and went with little notice last week, but that doesn't mean U.S. environmental groups are hurting.
During a Senate debate over a Utah wilderness bill, Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) disclosed the financial strength of the "green" lobby.
He said, "Environmentalism is a big business. The campaigns of this big business enterprise, the environmental lobby, are well financed, well staffed. They attach themselves rapidly to any issue that expands more membership (or) will raise more money for their coffers. They almost consume their causes."
A look at the books
Murkowski said in fiscal 1993 the 12 major U.S. environmental organizations generated revenues of $278 million, had expenses of $219 million, held assets of $915 million, and had fund balances of $855 million.
He said although many of the groups spend funds on meritorious projects to protect the environment, at the same time "little goes to achieve balance, compromise, or resolution."
Murkowski relied on a report prepared by the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise, which used data from various public records.
The 12 groups were Nature Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation (NWF), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Greenpeace Fund Inc., Sierra Club, National Audubon Society, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Wilderness Society, National Parks & Conservation Association (NPCA), Friends of the Earth, and the Izaak Walton League.
The highest paid environmental CEO was Jay Hair, NWF executive director, at $242,000/year. He was followed by Fred Krupp of EDF at $193,000. John Sawhill of the Nature Conservancy, Kathryn Fuller of the WWF, and Paul Pritchard of NPCA all made $185,000.
The Nature Conservancy had the largest staff and budget, 1,150 persons and $278 million/year.
NWF was largest in terms of membership, 4 million, followed by Greenpeace with 1.7 million, WWF 1 million, Sierra Club 550,000, and Audubon Society 542,000.
Partial disclosure
The report said although the 12 groups spent substantial funds on their publicly announced programs, "none of the groups announces the fat salaries of their executives, the huge amounts paid for staff wages and pensions, or donations spent playing (the stock market) in professionally managed investment portfolios. And few loudly advertise their gifts from large corporations.
"In addition, many environmental groups have fallen under control of the nation's richest private foundations. Private foundations have forced their own social-change agendas on many environmental organizations through 'grant driven projects,' with ominous implications for the unwitting public."
Copyright 1996 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
