News & Updates

Washington state lists Canada lynx as endangered Rare Cats

Dec 14, 2016

Location: Seattle Late last week, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to list Canada lynx as “endangered” under the state equivalent of the Endangered Species Act. This move comes as estimates for the state population of lynx fall to an...

WELC statement on Trump swapping climate denier for climate denier in Interior nom

Dec 14, 2016

Location: Taos The incoming administration has reportedly “pivoted” from nominating Washington state Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers to lead the U.S. Department of Interior to Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke, who believes climate change is “not a settled science." Rep. Zinke’s...

WA industrial dairy installs court-ordered manure lagoon liners to protect groundwater

Dec 12, 2016

Department of Ecology poised to allow continued industrial ag pollution throughout state with new permit Location: Seattle Last week, Cow Palace Dairy, a large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) in Zillah, Wash., began installation of state-of-the-art...

Coalition applauds final denial of Jordan Cove LNG Terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline

Dec 12, 2016

Location: Medford, Ore. Late Friday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) denied a request from Canadian oil and gas companies for rehearing of the case surrounding the proposed Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal and Pacific Connector Pipeline,...

WELC statement on nomination of public lands privatization advocate to lead U.S. Department of Interior

Dec 9, 2016

Location: Taos The nomination of Cathy McMorris Rodgers to lead the U.S. Department of Interior, tasked with "protecting America's great outdoors and powering our future," affirms the president elect's intent to undermine public lands protections and hand over our...

Coalition Calls on Obama Administration to Protect Greater Chaco, Navajo Communities from Fracking

Dec 8, 2016

Groups Appeal to Overturn U.S. Bureau of Land Management Plans to Auction Public, Tribal Lands to the Oil and Gas Industry Location: Santa Fe, NM Citing the dangers and destruction caused by unchecked fracking in the Greater Chaco region of northwest New Mexico, a...

WELC statement on appointment of industry puppet as EPA Administrator

Dec 7, 2016

Location: Taos, NM The appointment of Scott Pruitt, a climate denier and fossil fuel industry puppet as EPA Administrator in the next presidential administration effectively hijacks the mission of the agency to serve corporate masters at the expense of public health...

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Withdraws Controversial Big-Game Measure, Citing Sportsmen’s Suit

Dec 6, 2016

Montana hunters and anglers commend Forest Service’s responsible management decision Location: Helena A coalition of Montana sportsmen’s groups commended the Helena-Lewis Clark National Forest’s recent decision to withdraw a controversial forest plan amendment that...

Public Health and Environmental Groups Move to Defend Standards to Reduce Waste of Natural Gas on Public Lands

Dec 3, 2016

Groups Seek to Join Lawsuit to Oppose Challenges to the Standards Fifteen national, regional, tribal and local public health and environmental groups representing millions of Americans took legal steps today to defend new standards that will reduce natural gas waste...

Climate youths head back to court, Gov. Inslee must justify noncompliance with court order

Nov 21, 2016

Location: Seattle Youth petitioners are returning to court on Tuesday, November 22, 2016 for a hearing where Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration must show why it is not in contempt of the court’s prior order to protect the constitutional rights of the youth from climate...