Defenders of Wildlife vs. AFBF

 04/12
 By Jerry Hagstrom, Washington Correspondent for DTN

 WASHINGTON--Defenders of Wildlife, an environmental group that is furious with the American
 Farm Bureau Federation for its opposition to the reintroduction of the wolf in the western states,
 Tuesday called for a congressional investigation of Farm Bureau and released an expose of the
 organization that turns out to be an update of a 1971 book written by Samuel (Sandy) Berger, the
 National Security adviser to President Clinton.

 The study, "Amber Waves of Gain: How the Farm Bureau is Reaping Profits at the Expense of
 America's Family Farmers, Wildlife and the Environment" updates "Dollar Harvest," a book
 expose of Farm Bureau Berger wrote in 1971 after serving as an aide to Joseph Y. Resnick,
 D-N.Y. The study also served as part of the basis for a story on 60 Minutes last Sunday evening.

 Defenders of Wildlife suggests in the study that Congress reconsider a provision in a 1996 tax bill
 which gives farm groups income tax protection from "membership dues" because it considers Farm
 Bureau more of an insurance company than a farm group. Defenders of Wildlife maintains that
 "Farm Bureau, a powerful lobby that allegedly represents the interests of family farmers is, in
 reality, a wide-ranging business conglomerate with its own political agenda. In addition, despite
 claiming that it is the "voice of agriculture," only a fraction of the organization's membership actually
 are farmers." The study also says that some of Farm Bureau's members who are insurance clients
 disagree with its stand on wolves.

 However, Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife, stated in a press release: "We
 launched our investigation of the Farm Bureau because of its relentless attacks on endangered
 species recovery efforts, most especially those concerning wolves. However, as we examined the
 Farm Bureau, we found its leadership not only opposed almost every environmental measure, but
 they also advocated positions that harm rural family farmers--the very people they claim to
 represent." Schlickeisen also said Farm Bureau "uses its influence on Capitol Hill to support its own
 business interests to the detriment of its members and the environment."

 Defenders of Wildlife called a 1997 court order at Farm Bureau's request to remove all wolves in
 and around Yellowstone National Park "a devastating setback" to conservation efforts even though
 a January 2000 appeals court reversed the lower court's ruling.

 The study, which is available online at WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG, contains several quotes from
 Berger's 1971 study criticizing Farm Bureau. Berger later moved on to become an important trade
 lawyer in Washington. A National Security Council spokeswoman did not return a call seeking
 comment from Berger by press time.