Is it legal for a for profit company to use a non-profit organization to

[Maraya1969]

lobby for their cause? Basically the Audubon Society is being lied to or paid off.


Is this legal??? I know I have been screaming about this for a long time but please bear with me. 91,000 acres of pristine land is up for sale in Florida. The state and the Babcock Preservation Society are still trying to raise the money to buy the ENTIRE plot of land and keep it as it is. Syd Kitson of Kitson and Partners came by and made an offer to the owners to buy the land but he NEEDS to sell the part that he is calling his "preservation effort" back to the state of Florida so he can build a frigging CITY on 17,400 ares of it.


When I heard him at a commissioners meeting last week he rattled off several environmental agencies that were backing his plan. One was the Audubon Society. So I checked and the Audubon society/or Kitson has set up a petition for people to write their elected officials so they can "preserve" the 74,000 acres that he needs to sell in order to get the money up to build on the remaining 17,400 acres. I hope I am making myself clear.

I contacted the Audubon society yesterday but I don't know what they are going to do now that I have sent them two articles that specifically state that if Kitson's plan fall through the ENTIRE 91,000 will stay intact and eventually the state of Florida will have the funds to buy it.

Is it legal for him to use the Audubon Society to serve his company's needs for a FOR PROFIT AGENDA?

Here is the Audubon/Kitson "contact you official" site.

The title says:

"TAKE ACTION: FINANCING THE BABCOCK RANCH WITHOUT DRAINING FLORIDA FOREVER!"

http://ga1.org/campaign/BabcockFinancing/

"In recent weeks, the State of Florida has been provided with an unprecedented opportunity to acquire 80% of the Babcock Ranch - a working farm that provides considerable wildlife habitat and helps protect water resources. This purchase is made possible in part because a portion of Babcock Ranch will be developed, making the rest of the land more affordable for public purchase. It now appears that the power to make this dream a reality is in the Legislature's hands.

The Governor and Cabinet have approved the purchase, but purchase is contingent on legislative appropriations. This is to encourage your support for a one-time special appropriation of $300 million to fund the state's purchase."

This is from the Babcock Preservation Society that wants to buy the entire 91,000 acres and leave it AS IS. http://www.babcockranch.org/

"More than one million acres located in corridors and parcels throughout southern Florida have been identified as vital to the effort to restore the Everglades. The largest single parcel is the Babcock Ranch, and it is unique because it is the largest natural water storage tract in private ownership and much of it has been managed for decades in a manner that has preserve many of the natural systems within its borders. Its value in terms of water supply and storage, habitat for native species, and outdoor recreation opportunities for generations of Floridians and visitors to our State cannot be overstated. Simply put, the Babcock Ranch lands represent one of the last remaining opportunities that exist to preserve a large tract of natural resources in Florida.

How can I contribute to the acquisition effort?

A campaign to raise money for the purchase of the Babcock Ranch lands was launched by the Babcock Preservation Partnership on July 8, 2004. This fund raising campaign is designed to supplement the money that can be provided by local, State and Federal agencies for the acquisition and subsequent management of the Babcock Ranch lands."

[MercutioATC]

1. Not directly, but yes.

A for-profit can initiate the start of a not-for-profit with the purpose of the NFP being to advocate something beneficial to the for-profit.

Obviously, there are credibility issues, but it happens.

[OldLeftyTreeHugger]

2. Well, it is pretty dirty

No pun intended.

Not many of the big E groups has much credence anymore, and the Audubon getting in bed with a developer is pretty dirty.

The whole ranch should be preserved. Audobon should know better than to participate in parceling that land out.