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Defending the West's Public Lands & Forests

WELC's Public Lands and Forests work

National forests and public lands comprise more than fifty percent of the West. These lands provide drinking water for local communities, vital habitat for rare wildlife, and opportunities for recreational and spiritual renewal for all citizens. Together with more than eighty organizations, the Western Environmental Law Center has protected hundreds of thousands of forested acres, 31,000 acres of fragile burned areas, and 1,484 miles of wild rivers that run through the West.

Protecting Valuable Post-Fire Ecosystems in California: Researchers agree that post-fire salvage logging is a “tax” on the environment, and that unlogged recently burned forests are the rarest ecosystem in the West.
Protecting communities and habitats from the devastating effects of LNG terminals and pipelines: In the rush to exploit interest in new "alternative" energy development, Oregon has been targeted for the development of three liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals along the coast and nearly a thousand miles of gas pipelines that would crisscross the state.
Protecting Water Resources in New Mexico Roadless Areas & Wilderness through Outstanding National Resource Waters Designation: The Western Environmental Law Center is representing a coalition of conservation groups working to protect water resources in New Mexico’s Roadless Areas and Wilderness by designating their waters as Outstanding National Resource Waters, the highest form of protection under the federal Clean Water Act.
Keeping the Grand Canyon Wild: The Western Environmental Law Center is representing a coalition of organizations committed to keeping the Grand Canyon wild.
Protecting the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument: UPDATE! Working on behalf of the Montana Wilderness Association and American Rivers, the Western Environmental Law Center is prepared to take any and all necessary legal action to protect the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.

Tell state leaders to take action NOW on climate change!
WELC Sues Forest Service Over Attempts to Remove Protections for Wildlife Across the Country: WELC files suit on behalf of 14 conservation organizations
Sportsman and Conservationists Strive to Preserve Critical Wildlife Corridor and Habitat on the Continental Divide.
Conservationists Defend Wildlife and Natural Solitude in the Lewis and Clark National Forest.: WELC assists the Montana Wilderness Association in a lawsuit to defend the U.S. Forest Service’s travel plan for Lewis and Clark National Forest.

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Defending the West's Public Lands & Forests