World's Largest Environmental Group Urged to Reform

A report prepared by an independent panel calls for the Nature Conservancy (TNC) to institute sweeping reforms.

1 minute read

April 1, 2004, 9:00 AM PST

By C. Scott Smith


"The Conservancy, the world's largest environmental group, created the panel last year, after articles in The Washington Post described controversial practices at the organization. The Conservancy also immediately after the articles were published in early May banned many of the practices, saying it would no longer lend money to corporate insiders, sell land to its trustees or drill for oil on nature preserve land.

In the final report distributed to Conservancy board members this week, the panel did not dwell on past practices at the Conservancy, choosing instead to focus on setting new standards to increase efficiency and safeguard the charity's reputation."

Thanks to C. Scott Smith

Wednesday, March 31, 2004 in The Washington Post

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Close-up of green ULEZ sign in London, UK.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution

Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

46 minutes ago - Smart Cities World

Multicolored tulips in Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles, CA.

Spring Spectacle: Thousands of Tulips Bloom at One of LA’s Top Gardens

Descanso Gardens, one of Los Angeles County’s most beloved botanical destinations, is welcoming spring with 35,000 tulips in bloom, creating a breathtaking seasonal display expected to peak in late March.

1 hour ago - NBC 4

Power lines and towers at dusk.

Ratepayers Could Be on the Hook for Data Centers’ Energy Use

Without regulatory changes, data centers’ high demand for energy would be subsidized by taxpayers, according to a new study.

2 hours ago - Governing