News & Updates

Terry Tempest Williams & Brooke Williams appeal to Interior Board of Land Appeals over oil and gas lease purchase

Nov 16, 2016

Famed author and husband punished for common industry practice Location: Castle Valley, Utah Today, on behalf of Terry Tempest Williams and Brooke Williams, the Western Environmental Law Center administratively challenged the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM)...

Agreement in Principle requires study of coal train covers, $1 million in environmental restoration and coal cleanup

Nov 16, 2016

Location: Seattle A coalition of environmental organizations and BNSF Railway (BNSF) have reached an agreement in principle that will ensure that BNSF starts to clean up and prevent pollution from their coal trains. The agreement, which is expected to be finalized as...

Obama Administration finalizes rule to protect public health, taxpayers, environment from methane waste on public lands

Nov 15, 2016

After years of advocacy by a broad coalition of partner groups across the West and in Washington, D.C., we are proud to announce that today the Obama Administration released new rules that will reduce the wholesale waste of natural gas by the oil and gas industry–the...

Northwest Forest Plan science synthesis review begins

Nov 10, 2016

Will help inform forest management efforts in Pacific Northwest Location: Portland, Ore. Today, the U.S. Forest Service released for public and heightened peer review its anticipated science synthesis, which will inform the need to revise the renowned Northwest Forest...

Groups Call on Obama to Align Public Lands Management in Western CO with U.S. Climate Goals

Nov 1, 2016

Location: Denver Conservation groups today called on the Obama Administration to align public lands management with U.S. climate goals, in response to a draft proposal that would intensify fossil fuel extraction on one million acres of public land and mineral rights...

Court allows continued intensive, unstudied fracking in Greater Chaco

Oct 28, 2016

Northwest New Mexico oil drilling will continue despite risks to communities, cultural resources and environment Location: Santa Fe Hopes for a respite from a fracking boom plaguing Navajo and public lands in New Mexico’s Greater Chaco area were thwarted Thursday when...

New Poll Shows Strong Support for Northwest Forest Plan

Oct 25, 2016

Voters Prioritize Water Protection and Recreation for Public Lands in the Pacific Northwest Location: Redding/Portland/Seattle A new poll reveals voters' priorities for the management of a 25-million-acre network of America's public lands, forests and rivers in...

Terry Tempest Williams & Brooke Williams statement on Bureau of Land Management oil and gas lease purchase rejection

Oct 19, 2016

Location: Castle Valley, Utah [Posted on behalf of Terry Tempest Williams and Brooke Williams] On October 18, 2016, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rejected our offers for oil and gas leases made by Tempest Exploration Company, LLC at the agency’s quarterly lease...

Lawsuit Filed to Protect Critical Bull Trout Habitat on Payette National Forest

Sep 21, 2016

Location: Boise WildEarth Guardians, with representation by the Western Environmental Law Center, filed a lawsuit today in federal court challenging the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s failure to ensure protection for bull trout critical...

Inslee Administration Finalizes Feckless Clean Air Rule

Sep 16, 2016

Location: Seattle Yesterday afternoon at a media-only event excluding the general public, the Inslee administration released a final Clean Air Rule that legalizes dangerous levels of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state. In spite of overwhelming public support...