Following my op-ed in the Vancouver Sun on the 18th of December, the Dogwood Initiative responded with an op-ed of its own. My questions about undisclosed, foreign funding were referred "a red herring and a smelly and insulting one at that." And yet, the Dogwood Initiative's own web-site is powered by Groundwire, a Seattle-based organization that is funded by U.S. foundations including the Brainerd Foundation, the Bullitt Foundation and other USA foundations.
Brainerd is the U.S. foundation that paid Dogwood "To help grow public opposition to counter the Enbridge pipeline construction and the risk associated with increased oil tanker traffic in B.C.'s north."
The Bullitt Foundation paid Dogwood $30,000 "to mobilize urban voters for a federal ban on coastal tankers." As shown below, that's what the grants database of the Bullitt Foundation said as of December 15, 2010. But as of today, it appears that grant has been RE-WRITTEN. The database of the Bullitt Foundation now says that the stated purpose of that exact same grant was "To engage and educate citizens on the potential risks of tankers on BC's inside passage and the Fraser River."
Today, the Vancouver Sun published a letter from me saying that questions about the funding of the Dogwood Initiative are fair no matter who's asking. I also clarified that I worked in the salmon farming industry - and proudly so - during 2002 and 2003. I also did two short consultancies for salmon farming companies in 2007. For that, I was paid a total of $17,750. I have never been a lobbyist for salmon farming or for any other industry.
For the op-ed from the Dogwood Initiative, click here.
For my letter in response to the op-ed from the Dogwood Initiative, please click here
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