$US 92 Million Paid to B.C. ENGOs by The Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation (2003-2011)

British Columbia is spectacularly beautiful and is one of the last remaining places on earth where there are large, wild spaces and intact ecosystems. It is to be expected that the interest in protecting British Columbia is  global. However, some American foundations have spent an inordinate amount of money in B.C. compared to other countries that are naturally just as spectacular but in far greater need of resources and expertise for environmental protection. One of these foundations is the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation which was created in 2001 by Gordon Moore and his wife.

Gordon Moore is one of the co-founders of INTEL. According to Forbes, in 2003 Moore was the 29th wealthiest American. That was before he endowed his foundation with $5 billion from his personal wealth. Moore is said to be an avid Alaskan wild salmon fisherman, as photos show from a sport fishing trip.

Since 2003, the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation ("Moore") has granted $92 million to 32 organizations  operating in British Columbia. On top of that, Moore granted $32 million to two organizations that work on both sides of the border, Ecotrust and the Wild Salmon Center. These figures are based on my calculations made from information posted in the foundation's on-line database.

The $92 million granted by Moore includes nearly $43 million for wild salmon protection, $15.7 million for the campaign to "reform" salmon farming, $29 million for the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area Initiative (PNCIMA), a so-called "marine planning," and $4 million for other projects.  

The peculiar thing about PNCIMA is that it was only for a small but very strategic part of the coastline of Canada: the north coast of B.C. which  just happens to be right smack where oil tankers and other freighters would need to travel in order to facilitate exports of Canadian oil and other natural resources to China and elsewhere in Asia.  Another curious thing about PNCIMA is that all of the environmental groups and First Nations involved, appear to have been heavily funded by Moore.  Tides Canada, which was co-ordinating support to the various environmental groups and First Nations, has been granted $32 million by Moore.

One of the earliest grants towards the PNCIMA initiative appears to have been a grant for $471,972to the David Suzuki Foundation  for "reframing marine conservation in British Columbia."

First Nations groups in B.C. have been granted at least $27 million by the Moore foundation alone.

In early September of 2011, the Government of Canada announced that its withdrawal from PNCIMA. "Government withdraws support for B.C. deal over U.S. influence," reported the Montreal Gazette.

Most of the grants from the Moore foundation are for the north coast of B.C., an area now named The Great Bear Rainforest.  This huge, strategic part of Canada's coastline extends from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the southern tip of the Alaskan panhandle. Protecting the Great Bear Rainforest is now being used as a pretext for banning oil tanker traffic on that strategic part of Canada's coastline.

Banning oil traffic in the Great Bear Rainforest - as Moore-funded organizations are advocating - would block oil exports to Asia would block oil exports from Canada to China and other countries of Asia.  Whether intentional or not, the Great Bear Rainforest has become The Great Trade Barrier. No oil tanker traffic means no oil exports from Canada to Asia. Blocking Canadian oil exports to Asia would continue the virtual monopoly that the United States currently has on Canadian oil exports. 

The Great Bear Rainforest was created as part of Rainforest Solutions, a project of Tides Canada. By far, the largest recipient of funds from the Moore foundation is Tides Canada Foundation which has been paid $32 million by Moore.  According to my analysis of Tides Canada's U.S. tax returns for 2009, fully half of all funds granted by Tides Canada went towards projects on the north coast of B.C. In 2009 alone, Tides Canada granted $7 million for projects on the north coast of B.C.

Based in San Francisco, the Moore Foundation has three areas of focus: 1) Environmental Conservation, 2) Science and 3) The San Francisco Bay Area. The Moore Foundation is one of the world's biggest supporters of the environmental movement. As part of its Environmental Conservation program, the Moore Foundation has three initiatives:

• The Andes-Amazon Initiative
• The Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative
• The Marine Conservation Initiative

The $90 million that the Moore Foundation has granted to B.C. organizations was provided under the umbrella of the Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative and the Marine Conservation Initiative. The Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative has a total budget of approximately $190 million. 

The Moore foundation isn't the only American foundation that has granted tens of millions of dollars to environmental organizations operating in British Columbia.  Since 2000, the Packard foundation and the Hewlett foundation (two separate foundations created by the founders of Hewlett-Packard) have also granted $90 million for environmental campaigns in Canada. The Pew Charitable Trusts has granted at least $82 million including $57 million for the Boreal Forest Initiative, $7 million for salmon farm "reform," and $15 million for Sea Around Us at the University of British Columbia.

Below, here are links to grants from the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation to B.C.-based organizations, for a total of $92 million since 2003.

1) Aquaseed

• $990,474 in 2010 for SweetSpring Salmon Coho (closed containment demo project)
• $650,000 in 2011 for SweetSpring Salmon Coho (closed containment demo project)
  

2) Bulkley Valley Centre for Natural Resources Research and Management

• $358,150 in 2011 for a Collaborative Assessment of Cumulative Impacts in Skeena Region

3) Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, B.C. Chapter

• $210,853 in 2006 for Advancing MPA dialogue and practice
• $112,421  in 2009 for Provincial government engagement in marine spatial planning
• $429,482 in 2010 for Technical Analyses for Marine Spatial Planning

4) Conservation Strategy Fund

• $120,000 in 2003 for Economic Tools for Ecosystem Conservation

5) Conservation Fund

• $500,000 in 2010 for Closed Containment Salmon Aquaculture Research

6) David Suzuki Foundation

• $450,000 in 2003 for Wild Salmon Stock and Habitat Protection in B.C.
• $339,287  in 2010 for Salmon Market Standards
• $471,972 in 2006 for Reframing marine conservation in British Columbia
• $132,249 in 2009 for Sustaining an Area-Based Management Constituency for PNCIMA
• $315,430 in 2011 for Technical Analyses for Marine Spatial Planning

7) Earthlife Canada Foundation

• $510,000 in 2003 for Haida Gwaii Habitat Protection
• $300,000 in 2006 for Haida Gwaii Land and Resource Management Plan

8) Ecotrust Canada

• $500,000 in 2003 for Wild Salmon Conservation, Heiltsuk Nation Traditional Territory
• $550,000 in 2003 Haida Gwaii Protection
• $175,000 in 2006 for Haida Gwaii Conservation – Salmon Habitat Protection
• $422,924 in 2006 for Linking sustainable fishing to secured access
• $396,313 in 2009 for the Skeena Commercial Fishery Transition
• $431,796 in 2010 for Skeena Fisheries Diversification

Note:  The Moore foundation also granted $6.9 million to Ecotrust USA: 

• $25,000 in 2001 for Copper River Planning
• $2,030,000 in 2003 for State of the Salmon
• $660,000 in 2003 for Copper River Watershed Conservation
• $620,319 in 2004 for State of the Salmon
• $386,162 in 2005 for State of the Salmon (Renewal)
• $1,597,222 in 2006 for Copper River Watershed Conservation
• $927,136 in 2007 for State of the Salmon
• $599,420 in 2008 for Management Agency Database Pilots

The Moore foundation also granted $25.8 Million (2001 - 2011) to the Wild Salmon Center which works closely with Ecotrust:

• $75,000 in 2001 for Pacific Rim Survey and Symposium
• $1,450,000 in 2001 for Conservation of Salmonid Fish on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula
• $1,425,000 in 2003 for Wild Salmon Biodiversity Program, Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
• $6,000,000 in 2004 for Kamchatka Wild Salmon Biodiversity Program
• $535,000 in 2004 for Building Institutional Capacity for Wild Salmon Conservation
• $482,685 in 2005 for State of the Salmon (Renewal)
• $1,453,299 in 2007 for State of the Salmon
• $354,488 in 2007 for the Kamchatka Biostation Research Program – 2007 Field Season
• $2,080,349 in 2008 for the Kamchatka Salmon Refuge Creation and Consolidation
• $6,840,589 in 2008 for Kamchatka Wild Salmon Conservation
• $690,875 in 2010 for State of the Salmon
• $187,293 in 2011 for a Salmon Climate Conference
• $2,341,318 in 2011 for State of the Salmon
• $2,014,758 in 2011 for Kamchatka Wild Salmon Conservation

9) Environmental-Aboriginal Guardianship Through Education & Law (EAGLE)

• $400,000 in 2003 for the Haida Gwaii Title Case

10) Forest Ethics

• $351,393 in 2011 for Skeena Headwaters Strategic Negotiations Capacity 2 (against coal bed methane development

11) Living Oceans Society

• $453,400 in 2003 NOTE: This is one of the grants for the salmon farming campaign that was quietly re-written by the Moore foundation after concerns were raised.
• $1,125,000 in 2005 for the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform.  NOTE: This is one of the grants for the salmon farming campaign that was quietly re-written by the Moore foundation after concerns were raised.
• $500,000 in 2006 for Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform – Framework for Dialogue
• $600,000 in 2007 Joint Research on Salmon Farming (with Marine Harvest)
• $1,843,531 in 2008 for the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform in BC
• $880,500 in 2010 for the Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform in BC
• $578,098 in 2006 for Increasing stakeholder participation in Area-Based Management
• $239,835 in 2008 for Securing deep sea coral protection
• $287,777 in 2010 for Technical Analyses for Marine Spatial Planning

12) Middle Bay Sustainable Aquaculture Institute

• $1,113,750 in 2006 for Salmon Aquaculture Closed Containment Demonstration Project
• $1,899,148 in 2010 for Closed Containment Demonstration Project Completion

13) Marine Conservation Biology Institute

• $469,574 in 2006 for Destructive Fishing Gear Analysis

14) National Environmental Trust (now part of the Pew Charitable Trusts)

• $1,525,000 in 2005 NOTE: This is one of the grants for the campaign against salmon farming that was quietly re-written by the Moore foundation after concerns were raised.

15) Nature Conservancy

• $268,714 in 2004 for The Great Bear Rainforest

16) Northwest Institute for Bioregional Research Society

• $150,000 in 2005 for Open-Net Pen Aquaculture in the Skeena River Watershed
• $235,391 in 2009 for the Skeena Water Quality Protection

17) Nanwakolas Council

• $1,162,974 in 2010 for the Nanwakolas Council Marine Spatial Planning

18) Pacific Salmon Foundation

• $1,359,652 in 2008 Skeena Watershed Participant Process
• $276,961 in 2008 Skeena Watershed Monitoring Baseline Research
• $288,109 in 2008 for the Skeena Independent Science Review Panel
• $408,957 in 2009 for the Skeena Watershed Monitoring Baseline Research 2
• $873,424 in 2010 for Skeena Watershed Monitoring Baseline Research 2
• $505,962 in 2011 for MSC Certification for BC Salmon

19) Pew Charitable Trusts

• $150,000 in 2005 for Boreal Conservation Work in the Stikine River Region
• $710,000 in 2008 for British Columbia Mining Reform
• $1,300,000 in 2011 for British Columbia Mining Reform 2

20) Pembina Foundation

• $548,296 in 2006 for Capacity to Analyze Potential Impacat of Mining Projects
• $462,393 in 2008 for Skeena Energy Development

21) Rainforest Conservation Foundation

• $550,000 in 2003 for Wild Salmon Project for the North and Central Coasts of BC
• $599,876 in 2006 for Incorporating science into British Columbia’s resource management decisions

22) Round River Conservation Studies:

• $600,000 for the Taku River Wildlife Conservation Project
• $1,450,000 for the Taku River Conservation Project
• $2,375,000 for the Taku Watershed Conservation Project

23) SeaWeb

• $560,000 for Aquaculture Market Research Tools. NOTE: This is one of the grants for the campaign against salmon farming that was quietly re-written by the Moore foundation after concerns were raised.
  

24) Sierra Club of B.C. Foundation

• $475,000 in 2003 for Wild Salmon Conservation on Canada's Pacific Coast

25) Skeena Wild Conservation Trust

• $1,558,464 in 2010 for Skeena Integrated Management Reform

26) Tides Canada Foundation (Total: $26.6 million)

• $350,000 in 2003 for a Donor Advised Fund for Wild Salmon Conservation
• $400,081 in 2004 for the Rainforest Solutions Project
• $277,525 in 2004 for the Transboundary Watershed Alliance
• $600,000 in 2004 for the Donor Advised Fund for Wild Salmon Conservation (Renewal)
• $469,227 in 2006 for Taku Watershed Conservation – Salmon Habitat Protection
• $600,000 in 2006 for British Columbia Salmon Conservation – Small Grants Fund
• $500,000 in 2006 for the Stikine Conservation Network
• $250,000 in 2007 Test Case -- Legal Framework for Aboriginal Rights and Title
• $655,000 in 2007, Strategic Acquisition of Guide Outfitter Operating in Taku Watershed
• $5,842,736 in 2007 for British Columbia Salmon Conservation - the Great Bear Rainforest
• $529,629 in 2007 for Great Bear Deal Implementation/ Coast Opportunities Funds Start-up
• $1,811,939 in 2008 for the Skeena Integrated Management Reform
• $162,785 in 2009 Sustainability Plan
• $395,910 in 2009 for the British Columbia Wild Salmon Conservation – Small Grants Fund
• $2,418,405 in 2010 for the Salmon Aquaculture Innovation Fund
• $858,576 in 2010 for the British Columbia Wild Salmon Conservation – Small Grants Fund
• $1,212,150 in 2006 for Increasing Environmental Non-Governmental Organization
• $889,946 in 2007 for Informing Area-Based Management
• $1,241,635 in 2008 for Securing the PNCIMA ABM process through an ENGO strategic plan
• $736,132 in 2009 for Developing an Innovative Oceans Partnership to support the PNCIMA Initiative
• $8,413,822 in 2010 for Supporting PNCIMA
• $893,881 in 2010 for British Columbia Marine Conservation - Small Grants Fund
• $2,496,506 in 2011 for the Taku Tlatsini Conservation Fund
• $455,120 in 2011 for Collaborative Scientific Analysis in British Columbia

27) T. Buck Suzuki Foundation

• $328,742 for Securing commercial fishermen's support of Area-Based Management

28) Turning Point Initiative Society

• $3,562,658 in 2007 for First Nations Area-Based Management
• $247,727 in 2009 for First Nations Marine Spatial Planning Leadership
• $2,404,350 in 2010 for Integrating First Nations' Marine Spatial Plans
• $247,727 in 2010 for Integrating First Nations' Marine Spatial Plans
• $576,614 in 2011 for Communications and Training for Marine Spatial Planning (for the Great Bear Rainforest Initiative)

29) Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre

• $2,350,516 in 2004 for the Pacific Open Shelf Tracking (POST) Project
• $1,982,332 in 2005 for the Pacific Open Shelf Tracking (POST) Project
• $2,345,000 in 2006 for Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project

30) Watershed Watch Salmon Society

• $450,000 in 2007 for the Implementation of Wild Salmon Policy
• $598,815 in 2010 for Wild Salmon Policy Implementation

31) West Coast Vancouver Island Aquatic Management Association

• $872,780 in 2008 for Securing Area-Based Management in the West Coast Vancouver Island coastal-marine ecosystem
• $1,618,049 in 2011 for West Coast Vancouver Island Marine Spatial Plan Implementation

32) World Wildlife Fund Canada

• $1,656,083 in 2006 Science and stakeholder participation in resource management
• $2,105,625 in 2007 for Facilitating federal government commitment to Area-Based Management
• $729,613 in 2010 for Tools and solutions to advance Marine Spatial Planning
• $378,130 in 2011 for BC Energy and Water Management

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