NRT Response to the Oakland Institute's Report 'Stealth Game'

The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) contests the conclusions drawn by the Oakland Institute’s November 2021 report Stealth Game, and has concerns over its methodology and its reliance in some cases on disputed comments and testimony. Despite lengthy engagement in good faith with the Oakland Institute as it prepared this report, it is clear that its researcher continues to misrepresent basic factual information.

Nonetheless, the report contains very grave allegations that NRT takes extremely seriously. A number of the allegations made in the report have previously been evaluated by government led inquiries which found them to be groundless. Nonetheless, we will thoroughly review all accusations in the Oakland Institute report, and commit to taking any appropriate action recommended by our own internal appraisals of the claims, or any made by any authority mandated to investigate them.

NRT believes strongly that it has the support of the overwhelming majority of people in the conservancies where it works, who welcome our engagement to support them to get the most from their land and natural assets in ways that can be sustained for generations to come. It is unrealistic, however, to expect that there won’t be people who disagree with our approach. NRT's primary concern arising from the report is for the communities that it serves, and the damage that even the unfounded allegations of such serious offences may cause.