News Releases
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.
Montana Supreme Court hears oral arguments in landmark youth-led constitutional climate case Held v. State of Montana
Today, attorneys for the 16 plaintiffs in the historic youth-led constitutional climate case, Held v. State of Montana, presented oral arguments before the Montana Supreme Court. In a packed courtroom, attorneys for the plaintiffs argued to uphold the August 2023...
Statement: Supreme Court eviscerates the public interest with Chevron decision
"The Supreme Court's right-wing majority in Loper Bright v. Raimondo is a textbook example of judicial hubris. With the stroke of a pen and little respect for long-settled, 40-year-old precedent, the majority struck down Chevron v. NRDC, a case that stood for the...
Montana youth climate victory defense: Attend in person or livestream the Montana Supreme Court
On Wednesday, July 10th, the Montana Supreme Court will hold oral argument in landmark youth-led constitutional climate case, Held v. State of Montana. What: The Montana Supreme Court will host a 90-minute oral argument in Held v. State of Montana. Attorneys for the...
Groups petition Oil Conservation Commission to take action to stop growth of staggering $8 billion oil and gas cleanup gap
Today, advocates across New Mexico petitioned the Oil Conservation Commission to modernize woefully outdated laws governing oil and gas cleanup, financial assurance and operator transfers. New Mexico's oil and gas industry is inadequately bonded to the tune of $8.18...
Missed opportunity for climate, progress for conservation in BLM management plan for the Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction field offices
Today, the Bureau of Land Management released its proposed resource management plan/final supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction field offices, which will determine how 2 million acres of land in western...
Petitioners file motion to press Montana Public Service Commission to fulfill duty to consider climate
A subset of petitioners who requested that the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) comply with its statutory and constitutional duty to consider the impacts of climate change in its regulation of gas and electric utilities has filed a writ of mandamus requesting...
BLM safeguards 98.9% of Sonoran Desert National Monument, its Indigenous resources, desert life from recreational shooting
Late yesterday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it will close 480,496 acres (98.9%) of Sonoran Desert National Monument to recreational shooting, once allowed everywhere within this quiet oasis of saguaro cacti, native desert life, ancient petroglyphs,...
Conservation groups celebrate plan to restore grizzly bears to North Cascades
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s rule to restore grizzly bears in Washington’s North Cascades went into effect. The agency passed the rule under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act, which allows it to establish experimental populations of listed...
Wildlife Groups initiate legal action: Feds too slow to protect Sonoran desert tortoise
Today, WildEarth Guardians, Western Watersheds Project, and the Desert Tortoise Council and Tucson Herpetological Society, represented by the Western Environmental Law Center, are asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to reconsider its 2022 decision to deny protective...
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