Conservative groups push development By DICK MANNINQ ot me Misaougan The fastest political umbrella covering pro-development forces in the West is woven from threads o f earlier land-use battles: the Sagebrush Rebellion and James W att’ s Mountain States Legal Foundation, for instance. There is a new wrinkle, how­ ever, in the coalition o f as many as 200 groups calling itself the “wise-use” movement. The coali­ tion, which includes the Commu­ nities for a Great Northwest in western Montana and Rep. Ron M arlenee’ s Montana PLUS, has strong ties to a group that was in part bankrolled by Rev. Sun Myung M oon’ s Unification Church. Leaders within the movement say there is no influence by the controversial Korean religious cult. “The Unification Church is not a part o f the wise-use movement. Period. The end," Ron Arnold, a key player in the movement, said in a telephone in­ terview. “This happens to be the easiest stick with which you can beat it (the wise-use movement).” However, Arnold and others 'See COALITION. P*»e a *’' ■,.*?;** :'r~\ ~ la their o w n w ords, they are the’ ‘‘new - jv« envkonm entaSslfc.” ' "There is a movement in North A m erica,ifcdicaied , to w spoMt t h ^ c d o g la l care o f natural resources,” wrote Publisher D an yi H arrisin the ihnagural issue o f Odr L a n A m agazine. “ It’s called the wise-use m ovem ent.” “ The members o f the wise-use m ovem ent... have th e auoaacsH xh ef that their ideal tith e right Mittounan Sunaav. juiy 23 .1989-4-7 FROM PAGE A-1 resulted from the conference. Gottlieb also headed the Cit­ izens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, is one of Washington state’s leading conser­ vative fund-raisers and has been within the movement acknowl­ convicted of income-tax evasion, edged that the apparent ties with according to the Seattle Times. Moon have caused tome dissent could not be reached among the coalition's own mem­ forGottlieb comment. bers. Besides AFC. the wise-use “ It hurts the movement very movement also is tied 10 a second badly." Arnold said. The link to the movement, dement of the religious right that which now if rallying support for is m turn linked to Moon. One of a detailed national agenda that in­ the seven sponsoring organizations cludes. among other steps, allow­ of last year's conference at Reno ing mining in national parks and was the National Center for Con­ wilderness areas, it Arnold himself stitutional Studies, which is the and two other activists — Merrill creation of W Cleon Skousen. the conservative Mormon who once Sikorskj and Alan CottUeb. The movement is diverse and compared President Eisenhower to includes a variety of members a socialist. Skousen s organization has a from several organizations, but the three men play pivotal roles. long iist of ties to Moon, includ­ Gottlieb and Arnold, both of ing sponsoring with CAUSA a se­ Bellevue. Wash., combined efforts ries of conferences for state to write its national agenda, while politicians. Sikorski. who lives in Alaska, It is not unusual for Unification works itate-by-siate in building Church activities to crop up in ” grass-roois” organizations to conservative politics. Sikorski said support a pro-development land- public land policy is only one use agenda. element of AFC’s agenda that it is At the same time, all three pressing through a variety ot orga­ men are tightly tied to an organi­ nizations nationwide. zation called the American Free­ Moon’s infuence nas extended dom Coalition — the link to to Monunai on several fronts. Sev­ Moon. Sikorski is a paid staffer eral state legislators have attended while Arnold and Gottlieb are conferences sponsored by Moon membra* Ownlirh is imjjie board and Gov. Stan Stephens traveled o tne Far East at the expense of ups linked to Moon. In 1987. then state senator and now Lt. Gov. Allen Kolstad. in along with Rep. Tom Asay, Rn ritn o n i aau a a n polffTral strat­ Forsytu. organized a dinner under egy. the organization was formed the banner of the Montana Free­ in 198? by Cot. Bo Hi Pak. dom Coalition. Moon i chief lieutenant in the AFC’s first rallying cry was aid United States, and Gary Jarmin. a former Unification Church mem­ to the Contras in Nicaragua and ber and head of a fundamentalist : support for Col. Oliver North. Moon has said his purpose u group called Christian Voice. Writing in U S. News and "the natural subjugation of the American government and popula­ World Repon earlier this year. John 8. Judis said Pak and Jar­ tion.' including establishment of a "centralized world theocracy." min. who refers to Moon as. "Father." envision the AFC as a which has raised the hackles of third party tor people alienated by some conservatives. U S. News' Judis reported that the "more atheistic and nonreugious Republican and Democratic Moon’s growing influence has be­ come the topic of a lively debate Panics." As with Moon s earlier politi­ in conservative circles, but there cal venture called CAUSA. AFC are some fears about making that officials generally deny links be­ debate public. tween that organization and the "Most people are afraid to Unification Church. However. address the issue publicly because Judis reported that when pressed. they don'n want to publicize the AFC officials acknowledged that extent of the church's involve­ the church kicked off AFC by ment.” Amy Mortiz of the conser­ arranging $3 million in loans and vative National Center tor Public commuted ?0 full-time staffers Policy Research told Judis. for the fledgling group. That debate about Moon’s Sikorski. who said he is not a involvement is mirrored m the churen member, acknowledged in wise- use movement. vaid Ed a telephone interview that church Wnghr. who is associate editor of members still play a role in AFC. the Idaho Falls. Idaho-based Our "There are people m each state Lands magazine. Sikorski said who are Unification Church mem­ that Duplication is becoming the bers *tio do volunteer their sup­ “ spokesman" for tne movement. port :o AFC activities." he said. Wright said he personally is "They are very committed sup­ concerned about AFC’s involve­ porters of AFC.” ment as ire others m the organi­ Nonetheless. Sikorski labeled zation. He added, however, that "ndicuious," the notion that the group is oniv one of many in Moon is using AFC as a lever to the coaution and is not setting the influence land-use policy and con- agenda. jiiH O ge politics in the West. Most ot us understand wnat a The Seattle Times, m a recent movement is." he said in an inter­ story detailing Moon's activities m view. i f the American Freedom the Northwest, described Gottlieb Coalition were out advocating that and Arnold as two of seven key they are tne movement, then I people m the church's network m would have some problems with the 'egion. That network is heaoeo by Matthew Morrison, a that." i have some problems wun church member who is regional coordinator for .AFC and wno tnat group *a FC>." >aid Sen rents riis office space trom Got- Conrad Burns. *no suoooris tne wise-use movement. But. Burns theb :n Bellevue. building also houses added, cul groups are welcome to Gottlieb’s and Arnold's organiza­ participate in the movement, tion enown as the Center for the winch can produce the proveroiai Defense of Free Enterprise, which orange bedfellows oi politics. "You can aiwavs pick vour spearheaded the *ise-use movement s national conference friends, but you can never oick vour tarniiv. Burns >aid