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RANGE Magazine-Winter 2017-Monumental Megabucks

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RANGE Magazine-Winter 2017-Monumental Megabucks WI17 10.17 PM.q_RANGE template.q 10/17/16 5:43 PM Page 48 S L Bears Ears, Utah. Photographer Monte Wells L E W helped run an outdoor program in this area for 17 E T years, 24/7. “This is the first I have ever heard of it N O M being a sacred mountain. I was there all the time © for the last three years and not once did I see any natives hanging out in the area.” ments without Congress taking action to stop him. Westerners have long suspected that claims of “local, grassroots support” for new national monuments are false. Only millions of dollars, anonymously and selectively spread to willing professionals, could gener - ate such obvious and obviously expensive Astroturf. Well, now there is proof. Charity’s Parallel Universe For years, RANGE has covered the activities and murky finances of Environmentalism Inc. in the West. These groups, or their fiscal sponsors, all have “charitable” status granted MWhoite bnilliounairmes, broewnn Asttroaturfl, G Mreen meongumaentsb. Anuy qucestikonss? by the IRS and pretend to be nonpartisan. By Dave Skinner However, all push causes, often partisan, which in turn almost always involve govern - ment participation, permission, or policy— uried in the mindless horse-race cov - Act] as long as it’s on the books.” at sum, these are political groups. erage of 2016’s chaotic battle for the In counterpoint, Cynthia Lummis (R- The “politicalization” of charity really BWhite House between Hillary Clinton WY) commented after the Maine and began in the 1960s, when the Left (soon and Donald Trump is what President Hawaii designations: “No land or water is enough copied by the Right) pioneered the Obama is up to. Well, he’s using the 105- safe from President Obama’s desperate lega - overtly political nonprofit model. Today, year-old Antiquities Act to pile up national cy shopping. Congress cannot allow this charitable politics has become what Wash - monuments as his “legacy,” of course. abuse of the Antiquities Act to continue any ington Examiner reporter Susan Ferrechio At summer’s end, Obama added to the longer.” beautifully describes as a “parallel universe” already massive Papahanaumokuakea Oh, really? When it comes to Congress, for political activity. Marine National Monument (created in as all good American cowboys and cowgirls Here are a few examples. The Lois Lern - 2006 by President G.W. Bush) and accept - know, “money talks and BS walks.” Inside the er/IRS/Tea Party fiasco, which in the end was ed the donation of 87,000 acres of former Beltway, blunt-force application of money all about who gets access to the nonprofit private forest in Maine to be the Katahdin buys churning oceans of BS in which truth parallel universe of power. Woods and Waters National Monument often drowns without a ripple. But, just like a Next, the Center for American Progress, (see East Downer sidebar). He has clocked busted clock is correct twice a day, some - founded by out-of-power Clinton admin - off 26 Antiquities Act designations, with times the churn floats nuggets of golden istration Chief of Staff John Podesta no sign he’ll slow down before he leaves truth to the top to be grabbed. (brother of high-dollar lobbyist Tony). office. As Pomona College environmental Earlier this summer, the RANGE Podesta’s transitions—high-level partisan professor Char Miller told The Hill grapevine grabbed a nugget concerning the operative, think-tanker, White House chief reporter Timothy Cama, Obama has a political cover President Obama has relied of staff and Hillary Clinton’s campaign “strong willingness to use [the Antiquities upon to keep designating national monu - manager—show how seamless the lives of the well connected can be, spinning in and T out of public service while always, always E N East Downer R E staying well paid. T n Aug. 23, 2016, Burt’s Bees’ millionairess Roxanne N I Quimby donated her Maine forest holdings to the Then, of course, there is the Clinton ONational Park Service and on August 24, President Foundation, a giant global charity that kept Obama proclaimed a new national monument. Greens Bill and Hill employed and influential after were, of course, overjoyed, but Maine’s always feisty Gov. they’d left the White House “dead broke.” Paul LePage declared in a statement: “It’s sad that rich, Honest! out-of-state liberals can team up with President Obama to Also important—as the Clinton Founda - force a national monument on rural Mainers who do not tion controversies have shown—these chari - want it. As I’ve said all along, the fix is in.”— DS ties allow foreign plutocrats and dictators deep (and expensive) access to the American 48 • RANGE MAGAZINE • WINTER 2017 WI17 10.17 PM.q_RANGE template.q 10/17/16 5:43 PM Page 49 K C A L “Inside the Beltway, B Y N N E blunt-force K © application of money buys churning oceans of BS in which truth often drowns Black Diamond Ranch cowboys herd cows in the shadow of the Bears Ears on their summer range without a ripple.” in San Juan County, Utah. political power structure. Alongside Canadi - Maffly couldn’t. To start, UDB’s website was and all three of its known paid staffers are an mining baron Frank Giustra as a great registered in June 2011 by a Salt Lake Web fresh-out-of-college whites, not tribal mem - supporter of the Clintons is RANGE’s special designer who has also done “brand develop - bers—one of whom came straight from favorite, Swiss billionaire Hans Wyss. Like ment” for Round River Conservation Stud - Round River. Hmmm. Giustra, Wyss is barred from contributing to ies, another organization which we will see is Who pays them? Not until 2014 did American political candidates or parties or involved in Bears Ears “grass roots.” the Internal Revenue Service grant for - Political Action Committees (PACs). Also UDB’s headquarters is in Salt Lake, not mal nonprofit status to UDB, but UDB’s like Giustra, Wyss has given millions to the Window Rock on the Navajo reservation, very first Form 990 shows total contribu - Clinton Foundation. Probably not coinci - N dentally, Wyss also just happened to pay A San Juan County Commission Chairman Phil Lyman, like most of his M Y L constituents, opposes a designation of Bears Ears as a national monument. John Podesta $87,000 for “consulting” two L I H He has noticed that some Utah leaders haven’t made their views clear: P years ago. Now Podesta’s name is being float - F “I wish that Gov. Gary Herbert would stand up for us in rural Utah. O ed for Energy secretary in a possible “Clin - Y S We really need him.” E T tons, the Sequel” presidency. R U O C Keep in mind that none of this would work if voters could routinely learn who the © Pen Pals players (and payers) really are. an Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman passed to RANGE a 2014 email from Dennis Sizemore, executive director of Round A Lack of Evidence River Conservation StudSies, a Salt Lake-based “environmental nonprofit,” narrating events at a contentious meeting of Utah Dine Bikeyah. This private message was sent to outsiders and the In early June, the RANGE grapevine radar county by angry UDB leader Mark Maryboy, a high-profile (and apparently sensitive) Navajo pinged on a Salt Lake Tribune article by politician. reporter Brian Maffly headlined “Monu - Somehow unsurprisingly, at least to loyal RANGE readers, the intended recipients of this ment Plan a Grassroots Movement, Sup - email comprise a “who’s who in white environmental leadership”: Packard Foundation’s Sam porters Say.” The monument proposal is Tucker, Hewlett Foundation’s Michael Scott, Pew Trusts’ Mike Matz, Conservation Lands called Bears Ears, 1.9 million acres in south - Foundation’s Brian O’Donnell, plus three other co-workers, all familiar names. eastern Utah to bookend with the 1.7 mil - Sizemore’s email is clearly intended as internal damage control and paycheck protection, a lion southwest Utah acres President Bill communication among friends where everyone is on a first-name basis needing no further Clinton proclaimed (from the safety of Ari - clarification: “[Mark Maryboy] called me a racist and I pointed out that his head has been up a zona’s Grand Canyon) the Grand Staircase- white man’s ass his whole career. It was downhill from there.” Well, that explains the leak. Escalante National Monument in 1996. But the leak also explains who really supports a Bears Ears’ monument: “Scott [Groene, Maffly’s story carried quotes from a executive director of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance] made a good case, as lawyers can “grassroots nonprofit,” Utah Dine Bikeyah do, for joining up. He argued that CLF, PEW, Packard and Hewlett would settle for a very small (UDB), which supports a monument. For NCA or monument and that the Navajo needed SUWA and their supporters to prevent this. “balance,” Maffly wrote that San Juan Coun - “Letters to [UDB board members] from you [foundation staffer recipients] all explaining ty Commissioner Rebecca Benally (a Utah your positions would be helpful. CLF’s letter was helpful during the meeting. However, Mark Navajo, Democrat, and monument oppo - [Maryboy] countered that he has been assured by everyone that money will flow to UDB no nent) “alleged few if any Utah Navajo matter what they do.” endorse the monument proposal and the Maryboy’s counter was probably correct, as CLF’s formerly secret October 2014 board tribal groups pushing it are bought off by meeting minutes explain: “Without the support of the Navajo Nation, the White House prob - environmental groups.” Maffly then declared ably would not act; currently we are relying on the success of our Navajo partners.” Oddly “a lack of evidence to back this claim.” enough, while reliant on Navajo partners for street cred, the local campaign agreed to “move With that howler, it took RANGE’s away from a Navajo name” and settled on Bears Ears.
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