News & Updates

Court tosses suit challenging Santa Fe National Forest travel management plan

Jan 4, 2017

400,000 acres of SFNF will remain protected from ATVs Location: Santa Fe Late last month, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico dismissed a case against the Santa Fe National Forest brought by an off-road vehicle advocacy organization. The case...

Judge allows youth constitutional climate rights case to move forward against state of WA and Gov. Inslee

Dec 20, 2016

Location: Seattle Judge Hollis Hill ruled Monday that the youths who sued the Department of Ecology for failing to take action on climate change can again move forward, now with a constitutional climate rights claim that adds the state of Washington and Gov. Jay...

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...