Defending California
Despite being our nation’s most populous state, California
still has vast stretches of wilderness. From the Pacific Ocean
and coastal mountain ranges in the east, to the Sierra Nevada
in the west, Cascade Range in the north, and the Tehachapi
Mountains in the south, California
is an area of rich and varied geography, encompassing lush rainforests, cold
snow capped peaks, and hot, dry deserts.
California’s
population continues to grow and with that growth comes extensive development,
air and water pollution, and threats to the natural environment. Californians long history of environmental
stewardship remains strong. Representing
California-based conservation organizations, local governments and individuals, the Western Environmental Law Center is working to protect California’s
wild places and ensure the health of Californian communities.
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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.
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Protecting California Red-Legged Frog From Motor Vehicle Impacts
- In 2008, the Eldorado National Forest in Northern California issued a plan designating motor vehicle use on the Forest. This plan relies upon inadequate NEPA analysis and violates the Endangered Species Act by allowing motorized route crossings in protected meadows and riparian areas, home to the California Red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytoii), protected under the ESA.
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Challenge to Bush Administration Foot-Dragging on Species Protection
- The Bush administration has been using a legal loophole in the Endangered Species Act (the “warranted but precluded” clause) to delay listing of hundreds of species which it has acknowledged need protection, effectively allowing these species and their habitat to spiral downhill towards extinction.
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Ensuring the Public's Right to Know - Pesticide Reform
- In a long campaign with Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides the Western Environmental Law Center has sought full disclosure of active and inert ingredients in pesticides to the public under the Freedom of Information Act.
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Keeping Off-Road Vehicles ON Roads in Pacific Northwest National Forests
- In 2005, the U.S. Forest Service implemented rules that will require Off-Road Vehicles to stay on designated routes. We are working hard to ensure that in the Pacific Northwest, national forests implement the rules in the most environmentally conscious way.
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WELC Sues Forest Service Over Attempts to Remove Protections for Wildlife Across the Country
- WELC files suit on behalf of 14 conservation organizations
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VICTORY! WELC Protects Wildlife, Birds and Habitat on Farms
- We are thrilled to report that, in one of the quickest legal resolutions we've seen, WELC won a significant victory protecting habitat for wildlife on farmlands.
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