Wal-Mart to Fund Wildlife Habitat

[S]

April 13, 2005 — By John Heilprin, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, pledged Tuesday to spend $35 million compensating for wildlife habitat lost nationwide beneath its corporate "footprint."

Acre for acre, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it would buy an amount of land equal to all the land its stores, parking lots and distribution centers use over the next 10 years. That would conserve at least 138,000 acres in the United States as "priority" wildlife habitat.

The money will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a private nonprofit group created by Congress in 1984 to leverage federal dollars for conservation projects, including 312,000 acres in Maine alone.

"We introduced the concept of the offset program to Wal-Mart last year," said Max Chapman Jr., the foundation's chairman. "They were quick to say 'yes,' and Wal-Mart's leadership is raising the bar in conservation."

It's the first time any U.S. corporation has pledged such an arrangement, according to Interior Department officials, who will help decide which places to conserve. Interior Secretary Gale Norton said she hopes the deal becomes a model for other companies.

The action also helps Wal-Mart burnish its green credentials, just ahead of Earth Day on April 22. The company bought full-page ads in Tuesday's editions of at least 20 newspapers touting its new habitat program.

Wal-Mart has come under scrutiny over its labor practices and how its stores affect communities and competing retailers. Last month it paid a record $11 million to settle federal charges of employing hundreds of illegal immigrants.

Wal-Mart also settled a Clean Water Act violation last year by paying a $3.1 million fine for excessive storm water runoff at construction sites. It agreed to improve runoff controls at more than 200 sites each year where the company builds stores. In 2001, Wal-Mart and some contractors reached a similar settlement and paid a $1 million penalty.

"Wal-Mart thinks it can paint over its record with a nice shade of green, but that won't hide its true colors," said Eric Olson, an anti-sprawl campaigner for the Sierra Club.

With a quarter-trillion dollars in annual sales, Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people at 3,600 U.S. stores and 1,570 stores internationally.

The foundation plans to raise $35 million to match the Wal-Mart money, but said it would start off by putting $8.8 million from Wal-Mart toward a $20.5 million project to conserve land in five locations:

--Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana: Buying privately owned land to expand the refuges by 40 percent to 6,098 acres.

--Sherfield Cave/Buffalo National River in Arkansas: Adding 1,226 acres of bat habitat.

--North Rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona: Buying two private ranches with 1,259 acres.

--Squaw Creek in Oregon: Buying a conservation easement on a private ranch to protect 1,120 acres along a tributary of the Deschutes River to aid salmon and steelhead fish populations.

--Downeast Lakes region of Maine: Protecting 312,000 acres around Washington County, including 54 lakes and 1,500 miles of river and stream shoreline.

Wal-Mart shares rose 12 cents to close at $48.63 on the New York Stock Exchange, but are still near their 52-week low of $48.24.

Source: Associated Press

[Thais]

Originally Posted by S

It's the first time any U.S. corporation has pledged such an arrangement, according to Interior Department officials, who will help decide which places to conserve.

Doesn't sound too promising.

I wonder what they're going to do in the UK? My local £ shop is run by Walmart, as well as various supermarkets. Do you have Walmart in Oz?

[S]

we have K-mart and (in conversion) $1.8 dollar shops

[barn owl 72]

Why does the word lease bother me? I believe they are getting a lot of free advetisement for a tax write off and only the future will show had "commited" they are. Just sounds like PR for some reason.

[Mr.-Burns]

Wal-Mart aka Mullet-Mart is soo hated that they will do anything to try and improve their image. Not sure how the commercials are outside of the US. But they always have advertisments trying to show they care about causes and how their trying to help.

Its a tax write off and their hoping some environmentalists will forgive them for all the evil they do and start shopping there.

[sweetestgoodbye]

well when ive gone to walmart, they do have the lowest prices, lots of bargains, and they are very helpful to everyone.

however, im not sure how environmentally aware they are. so i really cant say anything.

would anyone have anything that says what kind of things theyve done wrong? or

will forgive them for all the evil they do

what evil they've done?

[Mr.-Burns]

Well I'm not aware of anything anti-environmental that they do.

But some of the things that cause people to hate them...

• Yes they have low prices, but their low prices case smaller stores independent like pharmacies, hardware stores to go out of business. Wal-mart is monopolizing.

• The will not let their employees for a union. Employees that try to get fired.

• They grossly under pay their employees, and most don't get benefits.

• They dont pay their employees over time. They literally make them clock out, walk outside, then walk back in and clock in so they can work more. That prevents them from having to pay over time. A fortune 500 company that makes BILLIONS. Well that money goes to the top people, not the common worker that has made Wal-Mart a success.

• They knowingly hire companies to clean their stores that hire illegal aliens.

• Women are discriminated against and usually dont get promotions.

Theres more and more, this is just the stuff off the top of my head. I know most of this cause my best friend is a manager at a Wal-Mart.

For more info go to http://walmartwatch.com/[/list]

[sweetestgoodbye]

wow

[Mr.-Burns]

I forgot to mention that they are building a Wal-Mart in Mexico one mile down the road from one of the larger Ancient Mayan ruin sites. Even though all the local resident were deeply opposed to it being built there. Obviously paid off some local politician...

They weren't against a Wal-Mart being built, just just didnt want one being built right next to the Ancient Mayan Ruines that are over 1,000 years old. But Wal-Mart wouldn't listen, because they don't care.

So ya, Wal-Mart does not have a great reputation in my opinion. Others my disagree which is fine. But from all the facts I've read about them I choose to not like them.