We Defend the West
Defending Wildlands | Protecting Wildlife | Safeguarding Climate
We use the power of the law to foster thriving, resilient western U.S. lands, waters, wildlife, and communities in the face of a changing climate.
We Defend the West
Defending Wildlands | Protecting Wildlife | Safeguarding Climate
We use the power of the law to foster thriving, resilient western U.S. lands, waters, wildlife, and communities in the face of a changing climate.
We Defend the West
Defending Wildlands
Protecting Wildlife
Safeguarding Climate
We use the power of the law to foster thriving, resilient western U.S. lands, waters, wildlife, and communities in the face of a changing climate.
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We fight in court to defend the western U.S. on behalf of our clients free of charge, but we can’t do it without your support!
EXPLORE WAYS TO GIVE
Defending Wildlands
The western U.S. is defined by its natural heritage of wildlands, rivers, forests, and wildlife. Since its inception, WELC has worked hard to preserve and restore these unique characteristics.
Protecting Wildlife
The western U.S. depends on its iconic wildlife. WELC protects native animals while preserving and restoring the healthy, functioning natural ecosystems they call home.
Safeguarding Climate
Our world is warming, with dire consequences to the communities, lands, rivers, and wildlife of the western U.S. But, as the saying goes, in every crisis lies opportunity.
Reaction to demolition of smokestacks at San Juan Generating Station
Advocates have been working for years to facilitate a transition to clean energy, ending coal’s polluting legacy and the region’s economic over-dependence on fossil fuels At 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, explosions rocked the bases of the four massive smokestacks that...
Federal court clarifies 2023 changes to National Environmental Policy Act for first time
Today, the D.C. District Court denied an attempt by Signal Peak Energy to force the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) to rush an environmental review of a proposed 175-million-ton expansion at the Bull Mountains coal mine in Montana...
Judge’s decision after August 2nd hearing may shield grizzlies from government killing and help connect populations
On August 2, a federal district court in Missoula will hear final arguments in a case challenging Wildlife Services’ practice of killing grizzly bears in Montana. The plaintiffs say the program has inadequately analyzed how these slayings may harm the grizzly bear population and its recovery. The hearing before Federal District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine whether Wildlife Services, a wildlife-killing program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act before killing or removing grizzly bears in Montana.
WELC Land Acknowledgement
The Western Environmental Law Center acknowledges that we live and work on the homelands of Indigenous Peoples across the western United States. We honor these original peoples who have long stewarded these lands, and we celebrate their resilience and richness of their languages, traditions, and cultures. Read more here.
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