Even more surprising for group members: The reason for getting dropped. Insurer cites Audubon’s environmental ‘advocacy’
By James M. Odato
Typically, the agenda for the Southern Adirondack Audubon Society’s monthly board meeting involves hummingbird walks, backpack giveaways or migration reports. April’s session took birders by surprise when they learned their chapter is being canceled by its insurance company for being an environmental advocacy group.
“It’s insane,” said Laurie Murphy, treasurer for the 600-member chapter. She received the notice from The Hartford stating that in July the company was discontinuing the Audubon chapter’s property and casualty coverage.
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“The reason for nonrenewal,” the terse notice stated, “is we have learned that you operate as an environmental protection organization.”
Murphy was stunned: “I assumed it was some AI search that went bad with something we weren’t involved in.”
Seeking clarity for the decision
As the society is a policyholder in good standing without any claims, the club reached out to its broker, Kristen Steinmiller. She pushed back on The Hartford, arguing that the society should be retained. The Hartford responded with a 98-word explanation with a few more details.
It said the society’s website declares its “primary goal is to protect the environment by preserving natural habitats and promoting environmental education.” Further, the response said, the chapter said it is tied to National Audubon, whose website refers to political advocacy.
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“We are not a market for associations who look to protect, analyze, or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces,” the carrier said.
Insurer’s stance on environmental groups raises eyebrows
Society President Rob Snell, a financial advisor who lives along Great Sacandaga Lake, said he understands the insurance industry business models. But he was “appalled and offended” by the notice.
“This has nothing to do with risk,” he said. “We’ve never put a claim in. All we’ve done is paid a premium.” Snell said since the Southern Adirondack Audubon Society became policyholders of The Hartford last summer its mission and website and actions have not changed.
He said the position of The Hartford smacks of conservative ideology and wondered if the company is influenced by the Trump administration’s view of environmental activism.
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Other members agreed. “We don’t do advocacy . . . we are an independent chapter,” said John Loz, the former president and now programs chairman. “We do not do any lobbying; what we do is we just present environmental programs.”
The Hartford’s communications officer for business lines, Suzanne Barlyn, said she would look into the matter when contacted on Wednesday. But she and other representatives of The Hartford did not respond to inquiries about the notice and broker’s letter.
Are political agendas at play?
Asked if this is part of a trend by The Hartford, and other insurers, to back away from environmental organizations, a spokesman for the trade association for brokers was unsure. He said insurance companies have upped efforts for a few years to weed risk, using an array of excuses to bid policyholders goodbye.
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“Several have gotten nonrenewals for weird reasons whether there’s been a loss or not,” said Bradford J. Lachut, director of government and industry affairs for the Professional Insurance Agents. The carriers, he said, are “looking at any reason to get out.”
He said he is unaware of whether The Hartford is driven by political agendas.
The Hartford is led by Christopher J. Swift, a Connecticut resident who has contributed to Republican campaign committees in recent years including one to elect South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott. He and other insurance executives have indicated support of Trump’s willingness to deregulate and reduce taxes on the insurance industry, according to The Hartford Courant.
The company describes itself on its website as a supporter of reducing carbon gas emissions and as an insurer with a “track record in environmental leadership.”
“The Hartford recognizes the risks that climate change presents to people, businesses and communities and understands that the insurance industry has a critical role to play in managing and mitigating those risks as part of the global economy and its energy transition,” it says.
The company says it is aligned with the Paris Climate Accords and seeks to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 2050. “We seek a pragmatic approach that reflects a balanced transition to a green economy,” it adds.
Brian Keegan, a spokesman for Environmental Advocates, an Albany-based lobbying group pushing for tougher environmental protections, said he had not heard of insurers dropping customers involved in environmental activism.
Officials with National Audubon did not respond to inquiries and Audubon New York Senior Communications Manager Sharon Bruce said her organization has nothing to say.
National Audubon provides its chapter of birders in the southern Adirondacks a small stipend for filing annual reports, about $1,200, Loz said. The chapter began searching for another insurer this week.
Photo at top: The golden-winged warbler is among birds Audubon New York hopes to conserve by promoting bird-friendly forestry. Photo courtesy of Audubon New York.
The word “incredible” comes to mind! But it isn’t the first word that came to mind.
Google “First they Came…”. Read the short poem, which originated in Germany about 75 years ago. Think about it, and how it relates to the here and now. Then act somehow, and sooner than later. “The flap of a butterfly’s wings will affect the wind around the world.”
After thinking about everything happening, I found that a good place to start acting is 50501.
https://www.fiftyfifty.one/values
While well-intended, the author does not seem to have a handle on insurance or insurance industry trends. I am a fourth generation insurance broker (not by design!) have been an insurance broker for 50 years and as owner/manager of an Adirondacks-based small mission-oriented insurance agency for wilderness recreation, nature & outdoor education, environmental conservation/research and trail associations for the past 20 years (spurred by my volunteer work with Audubon and other organizations). I recently spoke about insurance industry trends on a panel of insurance providers at America Outdoors’ national meetings in Chatanooga, TN. Insurance is a constantly changing industry, and liability insurance adapts to trends in litigation and a host of other factors too complex to get into in a comment on Explorer, including climate change.
While the legal climate can be subject to shifting political winds, litigation trends and inflation that drive insurance rates and policy forms, insurance companies do not make these types of underwriting decisions based on politics, but rather on perceived risk of litigation and expense/overhead. While we are based in Keene in the Adirondacks, we insure a number of National Audubon chapters around the U.S. When one insurance company changes guidelines that prohibit policies in areas such as environmental education and local advocacy by National Audubon Chapters, other insurers take advantage of this misperception to profit by writing those policies.
A reasonable number of alternatives exist in the insurance industry, partly due to competition, and partly due to the fact it is regulated on a state level and not deregulated or nationally regulated (the latter of which large insurers are in favor of to reduce regulatory costs and time-consuming review of rate filings and policy forms by state regulators). I also believe that some insurance carrier managers may not perceive the difference between environmental education and environmental advocacy, but insurance agents can only present the risk as it is. Grass roots education is the mission of National Audubon chapters, with a small amount of local advocacy thrown in. The Hartford’s declination of coverage for National Audubon chapters is another insurer’s profit, and their underwriting guidelines may change tomorrow, and this is one specific program of many at the Hartford, which has offered insurance programs for nature centers/museums and wildlife rehabilitators.
The greater question is not whether insurers are following political winds (and some chapters around the country are changing their name due to the association with John James Audubon’s personality and culture at the time the organization was founded) but whether the current political trends are making environmental education and environmental advocacy groups more vulnerable to lawsuits in this hostile political environment of 2025.
this is a good point, underwriters may not understand the difference in priorities of different various environmental groups, given the environmental ‘activism’ of progressive groups like Just Stop Oil, which is doing the overall environmental cause a great disservice.
“We are not a market for associations who look to protect, analyze, or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces,” the carrier said. That statement only highlights the scope of insanity of humans not caring about their own water and food supply on this planet…necessities that without we would all perish. It is as insane as the current administration insinuating that changes in climate are a figment of our imagination. Ask anyone who is in the midst of dealing with losing their homes and their very lives to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfire, tidal waves and earthquakes if they care how the event was caused! BTW: Nature doesn’t care about your political beliefs…taking care of the environment is a necessity for survival. Clearly (and sadly) we’re failing in this endeavor.
My first thought was the irony of issuing a policy IN THE FIRST PLACE to a HUGE, international environmental group if it conflicts with your corporate underwriting policies?? Sounds like take the money and run to me. I wonder what would have happened in the event of a claim?? BUYER BEWARE!
We have auto and homeowner policies with The Hartford that are due for renewal at the end of the month. If this is accurate, I’ll be cancelling both policies and looking elsewhere for insurance. A note to AARP will follow, since they endorsed The Hartford when we signed up with them.
The Hartford & other carriers have seen older people coming. Your age will determine how much you’ll pay, esp. if you are 55 & above & have had even a little claim. The older you are, the higher the price & the less likelihood you will be accepted … doesn’t matter what agency.
There is a level of absurdity that a company like The Hartford who helped to insure the Golden Gate Bridge and Hoover Dam, but they cannot figure a way to support our fine feathered friends.
I lived, hiked, kayaked, biked, and worked in the Adirondacks for over 38 years as a medical professional (before that visited often coming from the Catskills) and was a long time subscriber to the Adirondack Explorer. Loved the articles, pictures, hiking suggestions etc. (best when it was the larger size plain paper edition).
However over the years I saw changes to the publication, some of which for lack of a better word were in line with the new “woke” agenda… racial friendly trails and the like… It turned me off to the point that my auto-renewal subscription was cancelled. I do miss receiving the subscription, but it got too political for me.
Although this is not the same as an insurance company providing coverage, it may relate to some degree with the same underlying concerns…
Perhaps you are right. What brought you to the online version of AE??
Relax, George. No one’s going to force you to subscribe to AE over your objections to its “woke” agenda (whatever that means.) Apparently, though, AE isn’t sufficiently “woke” enough to stop your online reading.
Which raises the all-important question, how “woke” does a publication need to be to stop us from reading it? Do we restrict our reading to only “sleepy” publications? Or to “drowsy” publications?
George, I can see your point. ADK Explorer is starting to lean left. I lived downstate for most of my life. It got to be too crowded with all you could ever want in roads, noise, people, cars, lights, you name it. My wife and I decided on our own, without any assistance from “woke” organizations or government that the ADK Park is where we wanted to live and recreate. We sold our downstate home and moved to the Park 16 years ago. Just love it here. The woods, nature, do for yourself way of live. Nobody held our hand. We just took the plunge. That should be your way of life/living if you want to fit in up here. Work up here, volunteer, work to be a neighbor others can count on. If you do that you are accepted no matter what color you are or your last name. Trying to plug people in artificially if they are not 100% sure they want to be in the North Country–is just artificial and not going to work. If people truly want to live here, they will make it work themselves. There’s plenty of “help wanted” signs out. Come up here and commit and you will be accepted for what you bring to a community. Bringing in whatever form of Section 8 housing looks like in the ADKs brings ill feelings and resentment. Fit in on your own.
Truth spoken. The Adirondack Explorer is obvious left-leaning, with the disproportionate number, and positive spin, of articles on the Adirondack Diversity Initiative and other social justice and race related topics. We shouldn’t be trying to import residents from elsewhere. If they want to integrate into society on their own, they’re welcome.
Yes, this is hard to fathom, but small potatoes. At least, here in NYS, we don’t have a lot of federal lands that could be suddenly up for sale to mining, logging and other corporate interests. Can you imagine if the Adirondack Park were federal land…but it isn’t of course – its state land. Some wise folks took care of that.
I have insured my home and auto with Hartford forever and never had a claim and will be using a local broker to find a different company. This will also keep the money with a local business.
If this is correct..I will be changing insurance carriers as well.
it is ironic that an insurance company cancel someone who is concerned with the risks associated with environmental degradation. insurance companies manage risks, they do not deny that risks exist.
Let me get this right an insurance company is dropping the Audubon society in NYS and it impacts the ADK Park?
The only reason that makes me think they might do that, is because they are afraid the bird watchers will get to close to the birds and spread Bird Flu? Makes no sense . You got me I can’t even make up a reason why?
So, for how long has the hartford insured the Southern Adirondack Audubon Society? Not problem then? Policy not known? Different policy now? No grandfarthering in? Big Business rules.
Yorktown Harry
Unfortunately environmental causes have become synonymous with liberal and progressive ideologies, which are political. Look for example at Greta Thunberg, moving from climate change to Free Palestine. Furthermore, environmental activist groups further give a bad reputation to climate causes, like Just Stop Oil, gluing themselves to the road to block traffic and throwing soup on historic paintings in museums. It would be good to see a mix of both Republicans and Democrats support grassroot environmental causes, but for now, it’s not to be.