14 CapitalPress.com
April 28, 2017
Senator criticizes EPA watchdog after it clears What’s Upstream
Audit finds no fault
with campaign
By DON JENKINS
Capital Press
The What’s Upstream
advocacy campaign was a
proper use of Environmental
Protection Agency funds, ac-
cording to an audit released
Monday, a finding that frus-
trated farm group leaders and
a U.S. senator who requested
the investigation.
The EPA’s Office of In-
spector General cleared the
agency, the Northwest Indian
Fisheries Commission and
the Swinomish Indian tribe
of any wrongdoing in spend-
ing nearly $500,000 in federal
funds to advocate for stricter
limits on farming near water
in Washington. The EPA-fi-
nanced media campaign
didn’t qualify as illegal lobby-
ing, publicity or propaganda,
according to the audit.
“It just leaves you shaking
your head,” said Jay Gordon,
a dairy farmer and policy di-
rector of the Washington State
Dairy Federation. “When we
read common words, we ex-
pect them to have a common
understanding.”
U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts,
R-Kan., and Jim Inhofe,
R-Okla., requested the audit
last year after learning about
the campaign’s content and
source of funding. What’s Up-
stream alleged on billboards,
bus ads and its website that
agriculture was an unregulat-
ed source of water pollution.
The north Puget Sound
Capital Press File
A What’s Upstream billboard. The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General has
decided that the agency is allowed to provide funding to the publicity campaign What’s Upstream.
tribe hired Seattle lobbying
firm Strategies 360 and so-
licited support from several
environmental groups. The
environmental groups told
members they hoped the cam-
paign would influence the
votes of state legislators.
Federal law criminaliz-
es using EPA funds to lobby
state governments, but the
law should be interpreted as
“narrowly as possible,” ac-
cording to the inspector gen-
eral’s audit.
What’s Upstream didn’t
cross the line because it didn’t
advocate for a specific piece
of legislation, the audit con-
cluded. The Washington Pub-
lic Disclosure Commission
cited the same reason in dis-
missing a complaint in Feb-
ruary that What’s Upstream
broke state law by failing to
report its political activities.
Roberts said in a statement
that he hoped the EPA’s new
administration “will have
more trust” in farmers and
ranchers.
“I’m pleased the IG report
is complete. However, just
because something is found
to be legal does not mean it
is the right thing to do,” he
said. “For a federal agency to
award grants that demonize
an industry and promote an-
ti-agriculture billboards and
bus signs, EPA clearly had a
malicious intent.”
Swinomish tribal Chair-
man Brian Cladoosby said the
tribe will continue to speak
out about protecting water.
“I have said all along that
the What’s Upstream edu-
cational campaign was not
only necessary, it was entire-
ly legal,” he said in a written
statement.
The fisheries commission,
which represents 20 tribes,
declined to comment.
An EPA spokesman said
the agency had no comment
on the audit. He reaffirmed
that the agency will not pro-
vide more funding for What’s
Upstream.
Save Family Farming, a
Washington group formed
to counter What’s Upstream,
will ask lawmakers to tighten
the law to keep federal funds
from financing other lobbying
campaigns, the group’s direc-
tor, Gerald Baron, said.
The EPA should cut off all
funding to the fisheries com-
mission until the agency can
ensure federal funds won’t be
used for political activities, he
said.
“The potential abuse is
frightening,” Baron said.
“Our only appeal now is to
members of Congress.”
The EPA last year award-
ed the fisheries commission
$25 million to be distributed
to its member tribes for Puget
Sound restoration. The EPA
said at the time it was tight-
ening controls over how tribes
spent the money. What’s Up-
stream was funded from a
$15.7 million grant awarded
in late 2010.
Rep. Dan Newhouse,
R-Wash., said in a statement
that he will look at legislation
“so that no technical loophole
allows farmers or anyone else
to be targets of taxpayer-fund-
ed lobbying campaigns.”
He said the campaign was
based on “inaccurate infor-
mation, blatantly deceptive
images and other misleading
propaganda.”
“The EPA OIG report ap-
pears to wrongly conclude
that the anti-farmer What’s
Upstream campaign did not
attempt to sway lawmakers,”
he said.
The Swinomish tribe was
awarded $723,138 from the
2010 grant, according to the
audit. The tribe proposed us-
ing $568,449 for “public out-
reach and education.” Other
EPA documents indicate the
tribe outlined a $650,000 bud-
get for What’s Upstream.
The What’s Upstream
website included a link to
send a form letter to legis-
lators. The letter urged law-
makers to support mandatory
setbacks, but didn’t mention a
specific bill.
Strategies 360 billed the
tribe for $467,312, according
to the audit. The EPA paid
$432,955 through the fisher-
ies commission. Because of
public scrutiny, the fisheries
commission did not reim-
burse the tribe for $43,357
related to advertising timed
to influence the 2016 Legis-
lature, but those costs were
allowed, according to the in-
spector general.
The audit rejected a com-
parison between What’s
Upstream and EPA’s illegal
campaign to promote the
new Waters of the United
States rule. The Govern-
ment Accountability Of-
fice in 2015 found the EPA
guilty of “covert propagan-
da” by shielding its identity
as the source of promotional
material.
In the case of What’s Up-
stream, the EPA did not en-
gage in covert propaganda
because the campaign was
developed by Strategies 360,
according to the audit.
The audit did not address
What’s Upstream advertis-
ing that didn’t disclose EPA’s
funding, which was a grant
requirement.
The EPA’s Northwest of-
fice had no comment on the
audit, according to the inspec-
tor general’s office.
4-H alumna turns curiosity
into communications career
4-H alumna Jodi Walker.
If there was a project available when Jodi Walker was a 4-H
member, there is a good chance she tried it out.
Walker grew up in Nezperce and was active in 4-H for 10
years through the University of Idaho Extension, Lewis
County 4-H program. Walker’s mother decided to start a 4-H
club when Walker was 8 and led a variety of projects,
everything from cooking to rocketry.
Over the years Walker participated in many different 4-H
projects. She showed rabbits and sheep. She modeled as part
of the Making the Most of Me project. She participated in the
first Know Your Government Conference. Her curiosity about
different topics saw her taking as many as nine projects one
year.
Walker’s interest in writing, combined with her natural
curiosity, led to a bachelor’s degree in journalism followed by
15 years as a journalist.
“I think what I brought with me from 4-H was hugely
impactful in being able to succeed in journalism,” Walker said.
“I was able, not only to write, but to communicate, to speak
with others and to be comfortable interviewing people.”
Walker currently serves as director of communications for the
University of Idaho. The skills she gained during her time in
4-H have been instrumental in her successful career.
“There was a lot I learned that I took away from 4-H, public
speaking being one of them,” Walker said. “Being able to carry
on a conversation and do what I do now in my job; it all goes
back to those things I learned in 4-H.”
Lifelong skills and memorable experiences like Walker’s are
common among 4-H alumni. Show your support of 4-H
through the National 4-H Council Raise Your Hand Campaign:
4-H.org/RaiseYourHand. You can also support Idaho 4-H by
purchasing a 4-H specialty license plate.
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