NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION

 

NWF IS MORE MODERATE TO CONSERVATIVE THAN OTHER GROUPS

 

May 2001

 

In 1981, The Washington Post Called The NWF “Conservative.” (Bill Prochnau, “After Bad Week, Watt Faces Down House Critics,” The Washington Post, 6/17/81)

 

President Reagan’s Department Of Energy Inspector General James Richards Called NWF Along With The Sierra Club, The Natural Resources Defense Council “Environmental Extremist Groups.” (Peggy Andersen, “Energy I.G. Confirmed Despite Objections,” The Associated Press, 9/21/81)

 

A NWF Official Said While Its Members Voted Two-To-One For President Reagan, They Were Unhappy With His Performance. “But a year and a half after Reagan took office, [NWF Executive Vice President Jay] Hair says the 4.2 million members of his group ‘see the results of the current resource policies and they are appalled.’” (Robert Sangeorge, “Environmentalists Across-The-Board Oppose Reagan Policies,” United Press International, 6/19/82)

NWF Joined With Environmental Groups To Oppose President George H.W. Bush’s Nomination Of James Cason To Oversee The Forest Service. These groups included The National Wildlife Federation, The Wilderness Society, The Sierra Club, The National Parks And Conservation Association, The Izzak Walton League, The National Audubon Society, Defenders Of Wildlife and The Mineral Policy Center. (Les Blumenthal, “Environmental Groups Urge Bush To Drop Cason Nomination,” The Associated Press, 4/7/89)

 

NWF Was Targeted By The National Right To Life Committee For Supporting Legislation That Would Allow For Broader Use Of Federal Money For Overseas Birth Control. The NRLC also targeted the National Audubon Society and the Sierra Club. The three groups said that overpopulation threatened the environment and that is why they supported increased funds for birth control. (William M. Welch, “Abortion Foes Target Environmental Groups,” The Associated Press, 3/2/90)

 

Outside Magazine Said NWF “Competes For Membership With The NRA.” (Charles Trueheart, “Machismo & Madness, With A Soft Touch,” The Washington Post, 9/4/90)

 

Were Part Of An Alliance Of 27 Generally Liberal Groups That Issued A Report Stating That President George H.W. Bush’s Judicial Appointments Were Not Representative Of The Public. “‘The Bush judges could not be less representative of the American people in whose name they render judicial verdicts,’ said Nan Aron, executive director of the alliance formed by 27 generally liberal organizations. They range from the National Wildlife Federation to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.” (“Groups Rap Judgeship Nominees,” The Houston Chronicle, 12/19/91)

 

Joined The Environmental Defense Fund, The Natural Resources Defense Council And The World Wildlife Fund To Support NAFTA. “[T]he largest U.S. conservation groups, said that they had no doubt that approving the trade agreement would benefit the environment.” (Edward Hoyt, “Clinton Administration Works to Secure Passage of NAFTA,” Business Mexico, 10/93)

 

The NWF Did Not Oppose Gale Norton’s Nomination. NWF praised the President for taking “important positive steps in building a national agenda for conservation progress.” NWF President Mark Van Putten said NWF would judge the administration on the merit of its policies. “'When the administration proposes actions that will damage the environment… we will oppose it with every constructive means at our disposal. When the administration advocates conservation progress, it will have our support.” (Bill McAllister, “Another Anti-Environment Pick,” The Denver Post, 4/8/01)

 

The NWF Believes They Are In The Middle And Are Not Extremists. “Leaders of the National Wildlife Federation like to point out that theirs is a group situated squarely in the middle of the debate over the environment and how to preserve and protect it. Let the extremists occupying the political fringes shout their one-size-fits-all views on matters such as protecting wildlife, preserving green space and corralling suburban sprawl, the refrain goes. The NWF says it prefers building on consensus rather than confrontation.” (Paul Bradley, “Common Ground,” Richmond Times Dispatch, 4/29/01)

 

Former NWF President Jay Hair Praised President George H.W. Bush After Meeting With Him Before His Announcement Of EPA Administrator And Secretary Of The Interior. “‘It was the most positive experience we could have expected,’ Jay Hair, president of the National Wildlife Federation, gushed at a press conference following the private meeting with Bush. ‘We have a president who is interested in protecting the outdoors.’” (George Lobsenz, “Pressure On Bush To Live Up To Environmental Promises,” United Press International, 1/15/89)

 

Not Even A Year Later, Hair Blasted The Administration. “Bush’s efforts at balance, compromise and consensus building are killing our world.” (Robert Suro, “The Houston Summit,” The New York Times, 7/12/90)

 

Former NWF President Jay Hair Praised President George H.W. Bush’s Administration For Rejecting A Controversial Dam Project Near Denver. “‘President Bush campaigned as an environmentalist,’ said Jay D. Hair, president of the National Wildlife Federation. ‘This is the first solid indication that that commitment is being fulfilled. I commend President Bush and particularly Administrator Reilly.’” (Brad Smith, “EPA Rejects Controversial Dam Near Denver,” United Press International, 3/24/89)

 

Former NWF President Jay Hair Compared Exxon Valdez to Chernobyl. “There is no doubt in my mind that the long-term effects of the Prince William Sound oil spill will exceed Chernobyl or Bhopal.” (Jeff Berliner, “An Attack On Exxon, A Plea To The President,” United Press International, 4/11/89)

 

The NWF Led A Coalition Of Groups That Charged White House Chief Of Staff Sununu Was Harming The Environment. The groups charged that “in ongoing negotiations with leaders of the Senate Environment Committee, administration negotiators have consistently undercut Bush's pledge made in announcing his clean air bill last summer to ‘guarantee’ clean air for every American.” (“Groups Blast Role Of White House Official In Environmental Policy,” Electric Utility Week, 2/26/90)

 

NWF Bashed President George W. Bush For Opposing The Kyoto Protocol. “At a press conference held in front of the White House, speakers from several environmental organisations, including Greenpeace, National Wildlife Federation and Worldwatch Institute, predicted that the Bush policy would lead to ‘disaster.’” (“Bush Not To Cut Co2 Emissions, Opposes Kyoto Protocol,” The Press Trust of India, 3/15/01)