|
Oil
and Gas
Accountability Project
(originally
Citizens Oil and
Gas Support
Center,
a project of the
San Juan Citizens Alliance, now a project of
Earthworks)
Earthworks
headquarters location:
1612 K St NW
Suite 808
Washington , DC 20006
http://www.earthworks.org
Phone: (202) 887-1872
Email contact:
jzippin@earthworksaction.org
EIN:
52-1557765
Founded: 1988
Exempt since: 1988
OGAP office location:
PO Box 1102
Durango, CO 81302
Phone: (970) 259-3353
E-mail:
gwen@fone.net
Web site:
http://www.ogap.org/ (redirects to
Earthworks)
 Self-description:
The Oil and Gas Accountability Project -OGAP- is committed to
affecting oil and gas policy reform on the federal, state, tribal,
and local level. We are in the process of building regional and
national networks of organizations to address oil and gas policy
issues. We have held conferences at the national level on the
subject of oil and gas issues, and we have made publications to
assist landowners.
Actual:
Foundation-driven, aggressive campaigning to destroy oil and gas development, co-founded
the No Dirty Oil and Gas
(NoDOG) coalition, aka No Dirty Energy. Operates
the website,
No Dirty Energy.
|
 Origin:
The
Citizens
Oil and
Gas Support
Center
was created by
activist Gwen Lachelt in
1999
as a
project of the San Juan Citizens Alliance, a citizen action
group "committed to social change"
in the San Juan Basin of southwestern Colorado.
The name was subsequently changed to
Oil & Gas Accountability Project
(OGAP)
|
  OGAP was merged into the
Mineral Policy Center (founded 1988), which
was renamed Earthworks in 2004.
OGAP is now a project of
Earthworks. |
History:
OGAP attacks the
oil and gas industry under the guise of bringing "greater
corporate and governmental responsibility in the development of oil
and gas resources," but has the actual goal of
destroying America's fossil fuel industry completely.
OGAP has long
operated a successful propaganda campaign
to cause community groups to be
concerned about oil and gas issues. OGAP's early
campaigns in 2001 challenged
national energy policy with the aim of
eliminating the use of fossil fuels in the United States.
OGAP's early
campaign, the Western Coalbed Methane Project (WCBMP)
attempted to stop all coalbed methane operations
in the American West.
Another early
campaign, Democratizing Oil & Gas Commissions (DOGCOM),
attempted to remove anyone associated with the oil and gas industry
from membership in Colorado's Oil & Gas commission, thus eliminating
anyone with actual knowledge or experience in the industry, with the
purpose of appointing members who would shut down Colorado oil and
gas operations completely.
 In 2004,
Paul Brainerd, founder and donor of the Seattle-based Brainerd
Foundation, recognized OGAP's ability to cripple America's oil and
gas industry.
Paul Brainerd and his officers determined to advance the group
through funding from his Brainerd Foundation.
Brainerd's first step was to connect OGAP
with an anti-oil and gas group from Canada, funding
two small grants:
|
Dogwood Initiative, Victoria, British
Columbia - 2004:
$3,000 To fund a face-to-face strategy meeting of Canadian
energy activists to develop a framework for a markets
campaign. |
|
Oil and Gas Accountability Project,
Durango, Colorado - 2004: $2,000 To fund a workshop
to train activists in Canada and the U.S. and to develop a
corporate accountability campaign targeting one energy
corporation that operates in both countries. |
With these
instructions from Brainerd, the Dogwood Initiative and the Oil and
Gas Accountability Project (OGAP) held the workshop in Denver in
September, 2004, titled, Corporate Energy Campaigning: Using
financial pressure for conservation.
The NoDog Group in
Denver
The
corporate campaign was a tactic invented by labor organizer
Raymond F. Rogers, Jr. in 1974 and well known among
environmentalists by the 1980s.
Shortly after the
workshop, Brainerd
Foundation gave a "challenge grant" to the Washington,
D.C.-based Mineral Policy Center (founded 1988), which had
 adapted
the corporate campaign from a labor union tactic into an anti-mining
tactic with its "No Dirty Gold" campaign under former
Greenpeace leader, Steven D'Esposito. Brainerd directed the
Mineral Policy Center to change its name to Earthworks and to merge
with the Oil and Gas Accountability Project (see
Brainerd's profile of the merger). The executive director of the
new Earthworks would still be Steven D'Esposito. The challenge grant stated:
|
Earthworks, Washington, D.C. - 2004:
$30,000 To advance a markets campaign to leverage the
application of best practices within the mining industry.
|
The challenge grant
did not state that the "markets campaign" was to transfer the
"leverage" that had been used against the mining industry to be used
against the oil and gas industry through the new partnership with
OGAP.
The merger was
completed in 2004 when two members of OGAP's board of directors,
 Gloria Flora
(renegade U.S. Forest Service supervisor)
and
 Wilma Subra
(leader of Louisiana Environmental Action Network), joined
the board of the new Earthworks.
OGAP's last IRS Form 990 was filed in 2004,
when Mineral Policy Center's Form 990 first used the name Earthworks.
 One Earthworks
board member, Vermont Law School Professor Karin P. Sheldon, had
served on both Mineral Policy Center and OGAP boards since 2001.
She remains
Chairman of the Board of Earthworks.
In
late 2006, an anonymous person sent a warning memo to an oil and gas
association, spelling out the details of a planned 3-year campaign
to destroy the oil and gas industry in the Western United States,
2007-2009. The predictions for 2007 and 2008 have so far all proven
correct. The "NoDOG MEMO" became a cause célèbre in mid 2007 when it
was spread to many analysts and petroleum industry people. Read
The NoDOG
Memo here.
The Oil and Gas Accountability Project has claimed the memo is a
fraud written by an oil company lobbyist, which begs the question of
how an industry lobbyist would have such accurate detail on green
group events months before they happened.
OGAP and Earthworks
successfully pushed for anti-oil and gas legislation in New Mexico
and Colorado in 2007, driving a number of oil and gas firms from the
state, including Key Energy Services, which closed its Farmington,
New Mexico natural gas operations in 2008, leaving 700 employees
without a job.
In
late 2008, the anti-oil and gas campaign had gone full force, with
the congressional support of key Democrats and President-Elect Barack Obama.
|
Oil and Gas Accountability Project financial condition 2004
|
Revenue |
|
Expenses |
|
Contributions |
$0 |
|
Government Grants |
$0 |
|
Program Services |
$0 |
|
Investments |
$0 |
|
Special Events |
$0 |
|
Sales |
$0 |
|
Other |
$0 |
|
|
|
Program Services |
$298,040 |
|
Administration |
$23,436 |
|
Other |
$10,974 |
|
Total Expenditures |
$332,450 |
|
|
Total Revenue |
$344,103
|
|
NET
GAIN/LOSS |
0 |
|
Oil and Gas Accountability Project
Officers and Directors
as of 2004
| Name |
Title |
Compensation |
| Gwen Lachelt
|
Exec Director/CEO |
$42,000 |
| Karin Sheldon
|
Board Member |
$0 |
| Dan Heilig |
Board Member |
$0 |
| Gloria Flora
|
Board Member |
$0 |
| Dan Randolph
|
Chairman |
$0 |
| Jill Morrison
|
Secretary |
$0 |
| Jack Scott |
Treasurer |
$0 |
Foundation
grants to Oil and Gas Accountability Project
|
Grant Total: $1,607,492 |
Number of
Grants: 48 |
|
Donor Foundation
|
Amount |
Year
|
Grant Description |
|
EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Westport
Connecticut |
$175,000 |
2006 |
|
|
EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Westport
Connecticut |
$75,000 |
2006 |
Coalbed Methane
Project |
|
TRUE NORTH
FOUNDATION
Grass Valley
California |
$10,000 |
2006 |
Alaska program |
|
TRUE NORTH
FOUNDATION
Grass Valley
California |
$125,000 |
2006 |
Alaska program |
|
MAKI FOUNDATION
Aspen
Colorado |
$10,000 |
2006 |
Protecting Critical
Ecosystems from the Impacts of Oil and Gas Development |
|
NORMAN FOUNDATION
New York
New York |
$20,000 |
2006 |
Education activities |
|
JESSIE SMITH NOYES
FOUNDATION INC New York
New York |
$30,000 |
2006 |
General support for
a coalition of local state regional national and tribal
organizations working on health and environmental issues
associated with development of oil and gas resources |
|
MCCUNE CHARITABLE
FOUNDATION
Santa Fe
New Mexico |
$5,000 |
2006 |
General operating
support |
|
NEW-LAND FOUNDATION
INC
New York
New York |
$15,000 |
2006 |
|
|
NORMAN FOUNDATION
New York
New York |
$20,000 |
2005 |
Education activities |
|
MCCUNE CHARITABLE
FOUNDATION
Santa Fe
New Mexico |
$5,000 |
2005 |
To support our New
Mexico Oil and Gas Network in 2005 |
|
MAKI FOUNDATION
Aspen
Colorado |
$7,600 |
2005 |
Protecting critical
ecosystem from the impacts of oil and gas development |
|
NEW-LAND FOUNDATION
INC
New York
New York |
$10,000 |
2005 |
|
|
HARDER FOUNDATION
Tacoma
Washington |
$18,000 |
2005 |
General Support |
|
NORCROSS WILDLIFE
FOUNDATION INC
New York
New York |
$5,000 |
2005 |
Reprint 'Our
Drinking Water at Risk' & purchase monitoring equipment |
|
EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION OF AMERICA Westport
Connecticut |
$75,000 |
2005 |
|
|
JESSIE SMITH NOYES
FOUNDATION INC New York
New York |
$34,000 |
2004 |
General support for
a coalition of local, state, regional, national and tribal
organizations working on health and environmental issues
associated with development of oil and gas resources |
|
NORCROSS WILDLIFE
FOUNDATION INC
New York
New York |
$5,000 |
2004 |
Print an updated
edition of 'landowner's guide' |
|
EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Westport
Connecticut |
$150,000 |
2004 |
Coalbed Methane
Project with North Plains Resource Council, Powder River Basis
Resource Council, Wyoming Outdoor Council, Native Action, San
Juan Citizens Alliance, Western Colorado Congress |
|
HARDER FOUNDATION
Tacoma
Washington |
$15,000 |
2004 |
General support |
|
NEW-LAND FOUNDATION
INC
New York
New York |
$10,000 |
2004 |
|
|
MAKI FOUNDATION
Aspen
Colorado |
$5,000 |
2004 |
Protecting critical
ecosystems from the impacts of oil gas development |
|
NORMAN FOUNDATION
New York
New York |
$20,000 |
2004 |
Educational
activities |
|
MCCUNE CHARITABLE
FOUNDATION
Santa Fe
New Mexico |
$8,000 |
2004 |
General operating
expenses |
|
TIDES FOUNDATION
San Francisco
California |
$22,192 |
2004 |
|
|
BULLITT FOUNDATION
Seattle
Washington |
$9,000 |
2004 |
|
|
ALASKA CONSERVATION
FOUNDATION
Anchorage
Alaska |
$5,000 |
2004 |
|
|
MAKI FOUNDATION
Aspen
Colorado |
$5,000 |
2003 |
Coal bed Methane
Project |
|
MCCUNE CHARITABLE
FOUNDATION
Santa Fe
New Mexico |
$5,000 |
2003 |
For expenses
associated with the New Mexico Oil and Gas Network , a
partnership of grassroots groups working to influence
statewide policy |
|
NEW-LAND FOUNDATION
INC
New York
New York |
$10,000 |
2003 |
|
|
LAZAR FOUNDATION
Portland
Oregon |
$5,000 |
2003 |
|
|
HARDER FOUNDATION
Tacoma
Washington |
$15,000 |
2003 |
General Support |
|
NORCROSS WILDLIFE
FOUNDATION INC
New York
New York |
$5,000 |
2003 |
Purchase computer &
publish oil/gas guide |
|
THE THRESHOLD
FOUNDATION
San Francisco
California |
$12,000 |
2003 |
OGAP works
with communities to prevent and reduce the social, economic,
and environmental impacts caused by
oil and gas development. It accomplishes this by
bringing together more than 100 organizations to
advocate for greater corporate and
governmental accountability, responsibility, and respect for
people and places in the course of
oil and gas development. These organizations represent a
grassroots network that works to
affect oil and gas policy reform on the federal, state,
tribal, and local level. OGAP multiplies the effectiveness of these
grassroots organizations by providing
support, networking, and coordination for activists
engaged in campaigns against some of
the United States mightiest corporations. |
|
EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Westport
Connecticut |
$175,000 |
2003 |
Western Coalbed
Methane Project |
|
EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Westport
Connecticut |
$175,000 |
2002 |
Western coalbed
methane project |
|
NORCROSS WILDLIFE
FOUNDATION INC
New York
New York |
$6,000 |
2002 |
Publish two
educational guides |
|
PRENTICE FOUNDATION
INC
Westport
Connecticut |
$11,700 |
2002 |
General support |
|
HARDER FOUNDATION
Tacoma
Washington |
$16,000 |
2002 |
Public lands
preservation |
|
NEW-LAND FOUNDATION
INC
New York
New York |
$10,000 |
2002 |
|
|
NEW-LAND FOUNDATION
INC New York
New York |
$10,000 |
2002 |
|
|
MCCUNE CHARITABLE
FOUNDATION
Santa Fe
New Mexico |
$5,000 |
2002 |
To conduct
assessment work concerning oil and gas in an effort to effect
oil and gas policy reform in New Mexico |
|
MAKI FOUNDATION
Aspen
Colorado |
$5,000 |
2002 |
Western Coalbed
Methane Project |
|
HARDER FOUNDATION
Tacoma
Washington |
$10,000 |
2001 |
|
|
NORCROSS WILDLIFE
FOUNDATION INC
New York
New York |
$10,000 |
2001 |
Computer-related &
media equipment |
|
EDUCATIONAL
FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
Westport
Connecticut |
$175,000 |
2001 |
|
|
JESSIE SMITH NOYES
FOUNDATION INC New York
New York |
$25,000 |
2001 |
The Oil & Gas Accountability
Project was created by the San Juan Citizens Alliance, a
citizen action group committed to social change in the San
Juan Basin of southwestern Colorado This grant supported a
coalition of local, state, regional, national and tribal
organizations working on health and environmental issues
associated with development of oil and gas resources (First
year of a two-year grant totaling $50,000 Total grants since
1998 $93,000) |
|
JESSIE SMITH NOYES
FOUNDATION INC
New York
New York |
$28,000 |
2000 |
The Oil & Gas
Accountability Project was created by the San Juan Citizens
Alliance, a citizen-action group committed to social
change in the San Juan Basin of
southwestern Colorado. This grant supported a coalition of
local, state, regional, national and
tribal organizations working on health and environmental
issues associated with development of oil and gas
resources. .Of this grant
amount, $3,000 provided travel expenses for community
people to go to a Citizens' Summit
on Oil and Gas Issues. (Total grants since 1998: $68,000.) |
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