2014 Annual Report - Northern Alaska Environmental Center

Northern Alaska Environmental Center
2014 Annual Report
The Northern Alaska Environmental Center opened its doors 44 years ago and in that time has
seen historic successes and tragic setbacks in our fight to protect northern Alaska. We live in a big
place, with wide open spaces, and an incredible responsibility to ensure that our children—yes,
our children—can experience, thrive in, and sustain the place we love. We are on a precarious
threshold of change—immense and certain. Our world is warming at a rate that will very soon
disrupt our ability to live in this place with the quality of life we have come to expect. But, we have
an active, vocal, and passionate membership that is committed to halting destructive resource
extraction and the irrational assault on Alaska’s wildlife and wilderness.
In 2014 the Northern Center underwent a fiscal and organization makeover. The Board of
Directors had a planning retreat and produced a new Strategic Plan—one of our most important
guiding documents—for 2015 – 2018, rooted in our time-honored mission and vision. The
Strategic Plan sets an aggressive course to permanently protect the Arctic Refuge, keep oil and
gas exploration and development out of the Arctic Ocean, prevent transportation routes cutting
across northern Alaska and through hundreds of miles of wilderness, and seeing local solutions
enacted to fix our poor air quality.
As was the focus of this organization in our early years we are renewing our emphasis on outreach
and grassroots organizing. These efforts are not possible without your participation—and your
help is needed now more than ever. We welcome you to join us in our campaigns to protect the
wild places and wildlife of northern Alaska through service on committees, expert guidance on
position strategy, and enhancing our culture of activism.
Included in the following pages are our 2014 financials and a snapshot of our 2015 budget. We
have reason to celebrate all that the Northern Center’s membership worked so hard to accomplish
in 2014—a few of those successes can be found on the back of the report. We couldn’t have done
it without your activism, wisdom, and generous financial support.
Frank Williams
Thank you!
Elisabeth Dabney
2014 Income
Donations
$275,830
Grants
$193,904
Interest & Endowment Income
$5,652
In late 2013, the Center was contacted by the Philadelphia Foundation, one of the oldest community foundations
in the country, and Glenmede, an investment company based in Philadelphia, on behalf of an anonymous donor(s).
After negotiations and setup, the Northern Center took possession of a new endowment account with an initial value
of $1,156,989.27. The funds are restricted to salaries and payouts from the account are limited to a maximum of
5% of the three year, quarterly average of the fair market value of the fund. Included in the initial value was a onetime donation of $70,000 to assist with the costs associated with setting up the endowment and bringing on a new
executive director in 2014. We are thrilled and humbled by this generous donation!
- Foundation Support Patagonia Arctic Audubon
State of Alaska - Don’t be Fuelish Alaska Conservation Foundation
Leighty Foundation 444S Foundation
The Endurance Fund Conservation Alliance
Wilburforce Foundation True North Foundation
Western Organization of Resource Councils
2014 Expenses - Budget vs. Actual
$9,000 $13,707
Energy
1%
$2,500 $1,425
Local &
Legislative
5%
$6,200 $6,158
$9,500 $13,345
$1,000 $1,152
$25,150 $25,763
$0 $103
Clean Water & Mining
45%
Outreach & Youth
9%
$1,000 $903
$5,000 $4,274
Program Expenses
$10,000 $20,131
Arctic
40%
$13,425 $10,264
$2,000 $296
$3,000 $2,658
$2,400 $2,061
Budget
$7,700 $8,046
$256,001
Actual
$300,800 2015 Budget
$25,900
Approved 12/9/14 - Amended 5/27/15
$6,182
Endowments,
$42,000.00
$6,500
$10,630
$1,364
Donations,
$167,450.00
$26,853
$100
$2,500
$5,500
$31,517
Grants,
$226,340.00
Income
$11,720
$1,575
$3,000
$4,250
$5,000
Expenses
$264,150
- Program Successes Activism
Alaskans, numbering in the thousands, campaigned in force through public hearings, rallies, and media outcry,
supporting Wilderness and conservation in Northern Alaska.
Arctic Refuge
In a significant moment for the Arctic Refuge, the President recommended an additional 12.28 million acres be
designated as Wilderness, including the Coastal Plain.
Arctic Ocean
Ten million acres are now off-limits to oil drilling. These areas include coastal protections and the Hanna Shoal, a
biologically rich and important habitat.
Local Issue
FreeGold mining company revised their lease expansion application for land at the much loved Mt. Aurora
Skiland when Fairbanks residents rallied in opposition.
Rural Engagement
We organzied a successful multi-village Kobuk River trip to teach youth about water testing and public
participation in land use planning.
Wildlife Conservation
We rallied the support of our membership and a wide-array of community members in support of the National
Park Service newly proposed hunting regulations for National Preserves.
Air Quality
Our membership, citizen groups, and community at-large came together to defeat Proposition 2,
an initiative that would have prevented local government from taking action on air pollution.
Roads to Resources
With support of state and national coalition members, the proposed road to the Ambler mining
district was halted by Administrative Order 271, a stop work order for all Alaska mega-projects.
Your generous support of the Center will help bring more successes for northern Alaska in 2015!
Original illustrations by Danae Bernunzio, Northern Alaska Environmental Center 2015 Youth of the Year