Dogwood Initiative

Dogwood BC (formerly Dogwood Initiative) is a Canadian non-profit public interest group based in Victoria, British Columbia. The organization works to increase the power of British Columbians over government decision-making. They were instrumental in the fight against Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline,[1] introducing a tanker moratorium on B.C.'s north coast[2] and the province's campaign finance reform.[3] The organization currently works to stop Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain tanker and pipeline expansion in B.C.,[4] ban U.S. thermal coal exports through B.C. ports[5] and restore accountability and transparency to the province's democracy by calling for a Corruption Inquiry.[6]

History

Conceived in autumn 1998 at a meeting of First Nations, environmentalists, community advocates, and labour leaders, Dogwood Initiative began operating in 1999.[7]

At first campaigns focused on logging. Dogwood campaigners worked to stop the privatization of nearly 300,000 acres of public land on Vancouver Island.[8] They convinced the government to redistribute 10 per cent of MacMillan Bloedel’s logging tenures to First Nations and local communities.[9] They helped limit raw log exports, launched the British Columbia Community Forest Association[10] and used the Softwood Lumber dispute to reallocate 20 per cent of logging tenures across B.C.[11]

As oil and gas began to replace logging as the government’s top priority, Dogwood began to adapt. Beginning in 2001, the Liberal government in Victoria began to fast-track fossil fuels, starting with coalbed methane.[12] By blowing apart coal seams, companies like Royal Dutch Shell planned to release vast reserves of methane gas held in place by groundwater. Dogwood worked with activists and First Nations in Telkwa, Cache Creek, Smithers, Princeton, Fernie, Iskut, Dease Lake, and throughout the Peace Region, and were able to shut down commercial coalbed methane everywhere in B.C. Dogwood’s early support for Tahltan opposition to Shell’s massive coalbed methane plan in the Sacred Headwaters led to a high-profile victory when Shell pulled out for good in 2012.[13]

To date Dogwood is best known for their No Tankers campaign, aimed at stopping the expansion of oil tankers off British Columbia’s coast. What began as a small, focused campaign against Enbridge's Northern Gateway with northern First Nations grew into a political juggernaut that arguably contributed to the Harper government’s 2015 defeat, after the pro-tanker Conservative party lost more votes in B.C. than in the rest of the country combined.[14] New Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cancelled the Northern Gateway pipeline[15] and Liberal MP Joyce Murray introduced legislation for a tanker ban in the north coast of B.C.[2] However, Prime Minister Trudeau broke his promise to British Columbians and approved Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.[16] Dogwood continues to work against the Texas-based pipeline company.

Dogwood also runs 'get out the vote' campaigns for elections in the province of B.C. In 2017, Dogwood volunteers worked across B.C. to raise awareness about their issues and increase voter turnout.[17]

Current campaigns

No Tankers

Dogwood is actively working against Texas-based Kinder Morgan's pipeline and tanker expansion project. The project is expected to increase the tanker traffic on the B.C.'s coast seven-fold[18] and actively violates the rights of First Nations[19] and the will of local communities.[20]

Beyond Coal

Dogwood is working to ban U.S. thermal coal exports in B.C. ports. Dogwood is calling for adequate health and environmental assessments[21] and a levy on coal exports akin to the carbon tax Canadian companies must pay.[5] In 2017, Premier Christy Clark joined the call for the levy on U.S. thermal coal coming through B.C. ports.

Ban Big Money

Dogwood was instrumental in the campaign for campaign finance reform in B.C. politics. The organization researched and released breaking stories, including how much Kinder Morgan donated to the governing BC Liberal party in advance of their approval of the company's project,[22] tracking the donations from government contractors[23] and donations from an American trophy hunter Super PAC.[24] In November 2017, the provincial government passed laws to reform campaign finance, banning corporation, union and out-of-province donations and limiting individual contributions to $1,200.

Criticism

Researchers and pundits affiliated with the fossil fuel industry have criticized Dogwood [25] for accepting donations from US-based funders and charities, such as the Tides Foundation.[26]

In an interview with journalist Markham Hislop, political scientist Keith Brownsey at Mount Royal University said such claims are "bordering on conspiracy theory".[27]

References
  1. Hoekstra, ,Gordon. "Enbridge says it will meet regulatory deadlines for Northern Gateway". www.vancouversun.com. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  2. "My Second Reading Speech on Bill C-48 – Oct 4 2017 | Joyce Murray | Your member of parliament for Vancouver Quadra". jmurray.liberal.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  3. "Opinion | It is time to get big money out of B.C. politics | Metro Vancouver". metronews.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  4. "Trudeau is "Breaking the Promise He Made" By Allowing Trans Mountain Pipeline Review to Continue Under Old Rules". DeSmog Canada. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  5. Ross, Ariel (2017-03-20). "Why Does US Coal Get a Free Ride through BC? | The Tyee". The Tyee. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  6. Sammartino, Lisa (2017-07-24). "BC Needs a Big Money Corruption Inquiry, Fast | The Tyee". The Tyee. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  7. https://dogwoodinitiative.org/about/history/
  8. https://thetyee.ca/News/2008/01/14/TreeFarmDeal/
  9. http://www.wcel.org/sites/default/files/publications/The%20MacMillan%20Bloedel%20Settlement%20Agreement%20-%20Submissions%20to%20Mr.%20David%20Perry%2010%20June%201999.pdf
  10. https://bccfa.ca/
  11. http://www.fnforestrycouncil.ca/downloads/first_nations_forest_tenures.pdf
  12. https://thetyee.ca/News/2006/11/14/CBM/
  13. https://huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/shell-british-columbia_n_2323919.html
  14. "How to vote Harper out". National Observer. 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  15. "Trudeau approves Kinder Morgan pipeline, rejects one of two Enbridge projects". National Observer. 2016-11-29. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  16. "Canada can win by saying 'yes' to B.C.'s sustainable future". National Observer. 2017-08-21. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  17. "B.C. election 'will be won—or lost—on the ground' Tuesday: parties pull their voters | Metro Vancouver". metronews.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  18. "Kinder Morgan: Pipeline expansion will increase tanker traffic nearly seven-fold". Global News. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  19. "First Nations begin court challenge against Trans Mountain pipeline". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  20. "Anti-pipeline protesters block construction at Kinder Morgan terminal". NEWS 1130. 2017-12-14. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  21. "Coal terminal health assessment slammed by health officials". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  22. Linnitt, Carol. "Political Donations By Top Kinder Morgan Staff Draw Call for Elections BC Investigation". The Narwhal. Retrieved Oct 30, 2018.
  23. "Donors to Christy Clark's Liberals got $758 million in B.C. contracts". National Observer. 2017-03-07. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  24. "Big money, big game: Trophy hunter donation under fire | Metro Vancouver". metronews.ca. Retrieved 2017-12-21.
  25. http://www.ethicaloil.org/news/dogwood-doesnt-care-about-the-national-interest-just-its-own/
  26. http://business.financialpost.com/opinion/vivian-krause-new-u-s-funding-for-the-war-on-canadian-oil
  27. http://theamericanenergynews.com/markham-on-energy/krause-aom
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