Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise (CDFE) is a right-of-center educational organization that appears to be nearly defunct. When it was active, the group was heavily involved in arguing against what it labeled radical environmentalism and was associated with the “wise use movement,” a coalition seeking to protect natural resources through private property rights.

Founding and History

Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise was founded in 1976 to promote and defend the American free enterprise system through educational programs, congressional testimony, and publications. ^[1] When it was active, the center had a heavy focus on combatting radical environmentalism and was heavily associated with the “wise use movement.” The wise use movement argues for fewer government environmental regulations and alternative approaches to federal land management. ^[2]

Finances

In 2018, Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise had $1,506 in revenue, of which $950 came from contributions and $556 came from investment income and had $950 in expenses. It ended the year with $243,605 in assets. ^[3]

Leadership

Alan Gottlieb has been the president of Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise since its founding in 1976 and is the president of Merril Associates, a direct mail advertising firm. ^[4] He has been involved in several different right-of-center organizations and is currently the executive vice president of the Second Amendment Foundation. ^[5]

Ron Arnold has been the executive vice president of CDFE since 1984. His reporting has won several awards and was one of the earliest adopters of the term “ecoterrorism.” He is considered a father of the “wise use movement.” ^[6]