In the previous post, Who Is Y2Y? The Truth, Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) tax forms 01', 02', and 05' were reviewed. Revealed was how the individuals responsible for creating Y2Y set up their structure separately in Alberta, Canada and in Bozeman, Montana. In spite of this split between two countries, Y2Y-MT and Y2Y-Alberta shares board directors, operate "seamlessly", while Alberta staff manages the finances. U.S. dollars that go to Y2Y-Alberta from Y2Y MT includes federal grant money and donations from U.S. citizens. It is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirement that all 501(c)3 organizations "...must make available for public inspection and copying its annual return." The public has a right to know Y2Y's financial and administrative structure. Not mentioned in the previous article were the Directors of this new organization, listed on the 01' tax form. Directors from the U.S. included Katherine Deuel, at the time a recent graduate from Montana State University, Caitlin Fox, and Marguerite Mahr, a Switzer Fellow. One Canadian Director was listed, Jim Pissot, Executive Director for WildCanada Conservation Alliance, and previous Executive Director with Defenders of Wildlife Canada. Deuel and Mahr were listed again on the first 02' tax form. However, another important aspect on page 27 of the 01' tax form, filed in the U.S., was Pissot signing that the new initiative would be allowed exemption for lobbying activities, a 501(h). Called the Election/Revocation of Election by an Eligible Section 501(c)(3) Organization to make Expenditures to Influence Legislation, Pissot signed electing Y2Y -MT to influence legislation, which carries some financial restrictions for eligibility. This is used to skirt a 501(c)3 general lobbying prohibition. Fascinating, a Canadian signing a U.S. tax form allowing an exemption to influence U.S. legislation. As Y2Y progressed through the years, what other surprises are there? Looking at the 03' tax form below, new Officers, Directors, and Trustees are listed on page 5. From Canada are Robert Buffler, an environmental consultant, Executive Director; Jane Bewick, Business Director; Brian Churchill, Secretary; Wendy Francis, Chairperson and conservationist,; and Jeremy Guth, Director. On the U.S. side are Rob Ament, Director; Barb Cestero, Director; Bob Ekey, Director; and David Hadden, Director. Page 16 lists new replacements from Canada, Beth Russell-Towe who is involved with tourism promotion, Jeremy Guth, a Woodcock Foundation Trustee while still working with Y2Y, and Peter Wesley. Peart, a carry over from 02', has worked for Parks Canada, Sierra Club BC, the Canadian Wildlife Service, the BC Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs, the BC Outdoor Recreation Council, the Royal BC Museum, and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-BC Chapter (CPAWS). As for the players in the U.S., Ament would be a U.S. equivalent to Harvey Locke in Canada, having been involved not only with Y2Y, but with the Center For Large Landscape Conservation, IUCN, Wildlands Network, and Western Transportation Institute. Cestero works for the Wilderness Society and previously worked for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Ekey has also been involved in the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Wilburforce, and Wilderness Society, while Hadden has been involved in the Montana Wilderness Association and is currently the Director of Headwaters Montana. Johns is co-founder of the Wildlands Network. One new replacement in the U.S., from Idaho, is Levi Holt, Nez Perce Tribal member and National Wildlife Federation board member. These are some of the technocrats who are deciding how you can use the land, devising plans to design it into something they think it should be, while using wildlife and climate change as justification. But there are so many others who are involved. There is also a new address listed on the first page, changing from a physical address in Missoula to a post office box. Page 2 lists an increase in revenue to $1,046,906. Contract services expenditures on page 3 lists $305,315, with $280,315 for management and general, and $25,000 for fundraising. This is the payment to Y2Y-Alberta. On page 9, Part III, (e), the box is checked NO, that there was no transfer of any part of its income or assets. Was money not transferred to Canada? Perhaps that is not the correct interpretation for this item. In fact, the tax form, even though it is a U.S. tax form, is signed by Canadian Jane Bewick on page 7. These are just some basics of the 03' tax return. There are some interesting tidbits in the 04' tax forms. Starting with the mundane, instead of a post office box listed, there is now a physical address for Y2Y-MT in Bozeman rather than Missoula. The total revenue dropped from the previous year to $836,924 on page 2. Previously, a question lingered as to why a second tax form was filed in 02'. "Revised" is written with an 04' date on the board member list and on the last page of the second 02' tax form in the previous article. An interesting shift occurred with the money being funneled to Y2Y-Alberta on page 3, still noted as contract services. On this return it jumped to $614,400. Now there is also a list of how the money was split between program services for $493,400, management and general for $86,000, and fundraising $35,000. It appears Y2Y-MT is funding the Canadian agenda more. Perhaps from the money flowing to Y2Y-MT from the government, donations, and foundations it was decided Y2Y-Alberta deserved their share of money. Either that or perhaps the decision was made that conservation should be more targeted in the Alberta area. Still checked marked Yes is the section on being related to the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative Society, or Y2Y-Alberta on page 6, and the books are still managed by Alberta. Page 10 shows a total revenue from grants and contributions for the years 00' to 03', a massive $2,364,990. Over two million dollars to create schemes which remove our right to use our land. There was a minor shift in Directors. Canada continued with Buffler, Bewick, Francis, Guth, Peart, Russell-Towe, Sawchuck, and Zummerman with a new Canadian addition of Christine Torgrimson, pages 5 and 16. Torgrimson is Executive Director of the Salt Spring Conservancy, an uncanny way for Americans to get a tax deduction and not be subject to Canadian capital gains tax. That's pretty interesting. Is there no end to this conniving? As for the U.S., Ament, Ekey, Hadden, Holt, Johns, LaBelle, and Skeele remain. Gary Tabor returned, and another new director is Richard Baldes, a Tribal Water Board official, former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee, board member of the National Wildlife Federation, Y2Y, and Greater Yellowstone Coalition. These are changes noted in the two tax forms, but each year up to 16' there are other changes as this group expands. Understanding who the players are is an important aspect of Y2Y in addition to the financial issue. The IRS "...reviews the board composition of charities to determine whether the board represents a broad public interest..." which clearly is not the case in the Y2Y board. So, from 03' to 04' Y2Y continued to grow, financially, and through influence in their Board of Directors. They further enmeshed themselves with other conservation groups, a foundation, former federal employees, Tribes, and a land trust organization. Blatantly absent is any representation from regular citizens in communities. No citizen, who holds representation from their local government, is included in this amassed group of people, they are deliberately left out. That is purposeful on the part of Y2Y, they exclude all those who don't hold the same ideology, or perceived status, and share no concern about citizen rights or jurisdictional boundaries. This is what Y2Y is about. More to come with the 06' and 07' tax forms, and quick refresher on 05'.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |