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Briefing Paper #1: "Wise Use Movement" Background

"Our goal is to destroy, to eradicate the environmental movement."

---- Ron Arnold

Structure of the "Wise Use Movement" (WUM)

The Wise Use Movement is a loosely knit structure with three principal "salesmen" , a bevy of secondary salesmen, and a progeny of many "front groups" intended to convey a false impression of their real agenda and of their numbers.

It appears to have no organizational "focal point." To the extent that it has organization it appears to be provided by two persons, Ron Arnold and Alan Gottlieb, who work together, and Charles Cushman, whose agenda is virtually identical but who seems to operate independently.

Ted Williams, writing in Harrowsmith Country Life, describes Gottlieb as "the principal organizer of both the Wise Use Movement and Alliance for America." His strength appears to be direct mail fundraising, something he once did for the National Rife Association and from which he apparently draws for his claimed list of "more than five million potential contributors."¹

Williams also reports that Gottlieb spent a year in prison in 1984 for filing false income tax returns. This particular description of Gottlieb and his activities is corroborated by Richard Stapleton in a series of articles in the National Parks magazine beginning in the November/December 1992 issue.²

Ron Arnold, apparently the more gregarious of the two, was once a member of the Sierra Club and has travelled extensively in both the U.S. and Canada speaking to various groups promoting the creation of "front groups" for various exploiter interests. Stapleton quotes him as telling a gathering of Canadian timber executives that such "grass root organizations" can "evoke powerful archetypes such as the sanctity of the family, ... form coalitions to build real political clout, ...be an effective and convincing advocate for your industry." He explained to them that such groups can "do things industry can't."

Cushman, who tells audiences that his parents were forced to sell to the Park Service their cabin near Yosemite, a tale which apparently has not been authenticated, first became active in 1978 after having retired on full medical disability for migraine headaches at 34 years of age. He had left his Encino, CA, insurance career in 1977 and moved to South Lake Tahoe and, after episodes of financial and marital difficulty, to southwestern Washington state. A May 17, 1992, article in The Columbian goes into his travels and activities in substantial detail including a characterization by Ron Arnold: "We have called him the best bomb thrower the movement has, the best organizer the movement has, the best tank commander --- to call him only that sells him short ... He's not taking orders like a tank commander would. He's one of the generals, for Christ's sake."³

There are others who operate as circuit riders for the WUM, e.g. Karen Budd Falen, an attorney who speaks for the National Federal Lands Conference, James Catron who also speaks for the NFLC. But, the principals appear to be Gottlieb, Arnold, and Cushman with the latter clearly in the forefront of creating situations which have even led to violence.

But, they operate more or less separately and have created many front groups to encourage the impression that they have broadbased support. A sampler from the Stapleton article:

Alliance for America

Alliance for a Responsible CFC Policy

Citizens for the Environment

Citizens for Sensible Control of Acid Rain

Citizens for a Sound Economy

Colorado River Resources Coalition

Council for Solid Waste Solutions

Information Council on the Environment

Living Lakes, Inc.

National Wetlands Coalition

Oregon Lands Coalition

People for the West!

Sahara Club

Western Environmental Trade Association

Sources of Funding

Stapleton provides a list of co-sponsors of the second annual WUM conference. They are:

American Farm Bureau Federation

American Mining Congress

National Association of Manufacturers

United 4-Wheel Drive Association

National Cattlemen's Association

Independent Petroleum Association of America

National Grange

American Motorcyclists Association

National Forest Products Association

American Sheep Industry

American Pulpwood Association

American Forest Council

National Association of Mining Districts

He also reports that High Country News and the Mineral Policy Center have identified firms which have donated to the principal mining industry front group, People for the West!.

American Mining Congress $15,000 +

Bond Gold Corporation 30,000

Chevron USA Inc. 45,000

Cyprus Minerals Company 100,000

Energy Fuels Corporation 15,000

Hecla Mining Company 30,000

Homestake Mining Company 15,000

MolyCorp, Inc./UNOCAL 10,000

NERCO Minerals Company 100,000

Northwest Mining Association 15,000+

Pegasus Mining Company 15,000+

But, it is obvious from our experience in Northeastern Minnesota that funding is often available from other sources as well. The Northern Counties Land Use Coordinating Board, a clear product of the Wise Use Movement according to the words of those active in it, requested a total of $1.1 million from the MN legislature and the Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources. Their first request, $250,000 from the legislature was vetoed by Governor Arne Carlson, their second to the LCMR for $850,000 was not funded.

And, finally, Allan Gottlieb, as has been noted above, is said to be a very effective direct-mail fund raiser with a list of over 5 million potential donors.

Summary

There is no question but that the WUM is an effective effort. It is difficult to contest because of its chameleon-like character. It takes on various colorations but remains true to its aim of "eradicating" any and all regulation of the exploitation of natural resources. While various users may clash from time-to-time this loose structure allows them, with the help of a few people such as Arnold, Gottlieb and Cushman, to find common ground. They have apparently decided that the potential benefits of eradicating all regulation more than compensate for the likelihood that there will be clashes amongst the WUM groups from time to time.

Furthermore, they seem not to lack for funding making them an effective threat to capture even substantial amounts of public funding. This is not something environmental groups have been effective in doing. But, it is something which we will need to examine closely as a possible future strategy.

Alden E. Lind

¹ Ted Williams, "Greenscam", Harrowsmith Country Life, May/June 1992.

² Richard M. Stapleton, "Greed vs. Green", National Parks Magazine, November-December 1992.

³ Loretta Callahan, "The High Priest of Property Rights", The Columbian, May 17, 1992.

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