[Vision2020] NFWF and Wal-Mart

Mon Feb 27 12:41:27 PST 2006

Mark

I still call it Greenmailing, but I suppose that Greenwashing makes it a 
little more acceptable to some.  Its still part of the unlevel playing field 
that Walmart seeks to create.

When local businesses and resource business do mitigation for acrages, we do 
so on the basis of functionality, which is actually most often a lot more 
than acre for acre.  Wetlands mitigation is most often 2-3 to one for 
distrubed lands.  Riparian mitigation on a functionality basis is most often 
2:1.  In my career in mining, the ratio for lands which I have disturbed in 
explortation or development to lands reclaimed has averaged 2.2 acres 
reclaimed for each one disturbed.

One of the biggest deals in the environmental mitigation process is 
selection of lands for habitat mitigation and assigning functionality 
parameters.  I think you can recall some of the big meetings on the 
Beartrack Mine in trying to establish functional values for riparian 
restoration versus created wetlands.

So Wally World making some sort of claim to fame for a 1:1 is hardly 
generous and as you note is underfunded.  Further, your figure should 
reflect what other industry in the West does, so perhaps coubling your 
fogure would more accurately reflect ;what they should be doing in terms of 
mitigatory measures.

It has always bugged the heck out of me that development projects from 
Moscow to Jackson Hole never have reclaimation plans and never are forced to 
do functional mitigation that mines take as a matter of course in our 
business.  Once a shopping center or a housing development is put in place, 
it will never be anything else, but they are never required to mitigate 
that.  A mine will end up reclaimed in this day and age and will not simply 
reclaim, but will compensate for lose of functionality during the mining 
process and require interum reclamation during mining as well.  It used to 
crack me up talking to old Phil Hocker who as a developer had wiped out 900 
acres of wintrer elk habitat in Jackson without ever doing an ounce of 
reclamation or mitigation for his destruction and hear him gross about 
mines.

Maybe its time to require developers to do mitigation.

Phil Nisbet

>From: Mark Solomon <msolomon at moscow.com>
>To: Chris Storhok <cstorhok at co.fairbanks.ak.us>,        
>"'vision2020 at moscow.com'" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] NFWF and Wal-Mart
>Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:01:26 -0800
>
>Hi Chris,
>A great example of "green-washing" -- in this instance the devil is in the 
>details. "Landscape level" conservation and "acre-by-acre" footprint of 
>Walmart stores don't quite match up. Money is money and I'm certainly not 
>saying that WM contributions are not potentially valuable, but I can see 
>the ads now: slow camera pan over a forest/desert/canyon/lake/etc. Voice 
>over: For every acre of Walmart stores built, we save an acre of America's 
>natural heritage for you.
>
>Reality: Using a local example discussed on Vision 2020 recently, the cedar 
>grove on Moscow Mountain, estimated value including stumpage is somewhere 
>in the 1.3 million dollar range for just under 300 acres. Call it 
>$4000/acre. By the requirements of the grant program, WM pays half or 
>$2k/acre for $600k total. For the purposes of this argument, let's assume 
>that $2k/acre is a good average for the "high conservation value" lands 
>that are the focus of the program and it's $3.1 million annual budget. That 
>would be 1,550 acres nationwide. Walmart plans on building 1500 stores this 
>coming year according to news reports. Average footprint of stores and 
>parking lots is @30 acres or 45,000 acres of Walmart stores this year alone 
>or a deficit of 43,450 acres unfunded in their program.
>
>If WM is serious about offsetting their landscape level impacts, they'll 
>need to kick in another $86,900,000.
>
>Mark Solomon
>
>At 8:58 AM -0900 2/27/06, Chris Storhok wrote:
>>Just in case Moscow loses its battle to Super Wal-Mart:
>>
>>
>>National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Wal-Mart
>>              Invites Proposals for Acres for America Program
>>
>>  Deadline: April 1, 2006 (Pre-proposals)
>>
>>  A partnership between Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
>>  ( <http://www.wal-mart.com/>http://www.wal-mart.com/ ) and the National 
>>Fish and  Wildlife Foundation ( <http://www.nfwf.org/>http://www.nfwf.org/ 
>>), the Acres  for America program was established to provide funding  for 
>>projects that conserve important habitat for fish,  wildlife, and plants 
>>through acquisition of interest in  real property. The goal of the Acres 
>>for America program  is to offset the footprint of Wal-Mart's domestic 
>>facilities on at least an acre-by-acre basis through these acquisitions.
>>
>>  Through the program, approximately $3.1 million will be  made available 
>>annually, for ten years, for conservation  investments.
>>
>>  To be considered for funding through the Wal-Mart partner-  ship, 
>>acquisitions of interest in real property should  have the endorsement of 
>>appropriate federal, state, and  local government agencies as an 
>>acquisition  with high  conservation value; endorsements by nonprofit 
>>conservation  organizations are also a primary consideration. Acquisi-  
>>tions that contribute to "landscape level" conservation  efforts that help 
>>reduce fragmentation are preferred over  isolated acquisitions. In 
>>addition, important fish, wild-  life, and/or plant resources such as 
>>endangered species or areas of significant biological diversity, as 
>>identified  by credible conservation agencies or organizations, should  be 
>>conserved through the acquisition. The fee transfer or  perpetual easement 
>>must qualify for "conservation purposes"
>>  as defined by Internal Revenue Code Section 170(h). Access  to the land 
>>by the public is preferred but not required.
>>
>>  All grant awards require a minimum 1:1 match of cash or contributed 
>>goods and services. Federal funds may be  considered as match. Higher 
>>ratios of matching funds will  at times aid in making applications more 
>>competitive.
>>
>>  Visit the NFWF Web site for complete program information  and 
>>application procedures.
>>
>>  RFP Link:
>>
>><http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10001072/nfwf>http://fconline.fdncenter.org/pnd/10001072/nfwf
>>
>>
>>
>>Chris Storhok
>>North Pole, AK

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