Court orders Idaho to stop illegal trapping of protected lynx (Press Release 1/11/16)
Location:Victor, IdahoA federal judge today ordered Idaho officials to come up with trapping restrictions to prevent Canada lynx–one of the rarest cats in the nation–from being inadvertently but illegally hurt or killed across more than 20,000 square miles of the...
Lawsuit to Challenge Feds’ Approval of Decades More Coal Pollution at Four Corners (Press Release 12/21/15)
Location:PhoenixAfter years of refusal by U.S. government agencies to address coal pollution damage from the Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo Mine, Diné (Navajo), regional and national conservation groups today took joint legal action to seek justice for impacts to...
Conservationists deal blow to Wildlife Services in landmark WA wolf case (Press Release 12/21/15)
Court rejects indiscriminate wolf killingLocation:Olympia, WAIn response to a challenge brought by a coalition of conservation organizations, a federal court rejected plans to escalate cruel wolf killing in Washington state by the secretive federal program dubbed...
In Advance of Paris Climate Talks, Washington Court Recognizes Constitutional and Public Trust Rights and Announces Agency’s Legal Duty to Protect Atmosphere for Present and Future Generations (Press Release 11/20/15)
“[I]f ever there were a time to recognize through action this right to preservation of a healthful and pleasant atmosphere, the time is now”Location:Seattle, WALate last night, King County Superior Court Judge Hollis R. Hill issued a groundbreaking ruling in the...
Tipsheet Timeline: Washington Youth Climate Case (Press Release 11/19/15)
Soon, King County Superior Court Judge Hollis Hill will issue a ruling in the unprecedented case of seven youth petitioners requesting the Washington Department of Ecology to write a carbon emissions rule that protects the atmosphere for their generation and those to...
In Front of Packed Courtroom, Young Petitioners Ask Judge to Uphold Their Rights to a Safe Environment (Press Release 11/3/15)
Location:Seattle, WAToday, young Washington citizens sat in a packed King County courtroom and watched as their attorney, Andrea Rodgers gave a stunning and impassioned argument to the court as she fought for her clients’ right to a healthy environment and safe...
Montana Board of Environmental Review Rejects Coal Mine Expansion (Press Release 10/20/15)
MT DEQ Permit Did Not Adequately Protect GroundwaterLocation:Helena, MTOn Friday, the Montana Board of Environmental Review rejected a Department of Environmental Quality coal mine expansion permit that would have doubled the size of the Bull Mountains mine near...
Hearing in Youths’ Landmark Climate Change Lawsuit Held in Seattle at King County Courthouse (Press Release 10/13/15)
Location:Seattle, WAWHAT:Judge Hollis Hill will hear oral argument in the important case brought by seven young Washingtonians to address Washington Department of Ecology’s persistent refusal to set science-based carbon pollution limits. WHEN:Tuesday, November...
Dyan Oldenburg Joins Western Environmental Law Center Board of Directors (Statement 10/12/15)
Location:Santa Fe, NMThe Western Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit public-interest environmental law firm, is proud to announce the addition of Training Resources for the Environmental Community (TREC) founder Dyan Oldenburg to its board of directors. From 1996...
Court Approves Settlement to Save Imperiled Lynx from Trapping (Press Release 9/23/15)
New Regulations in Lynx Habitat Will Protect Montana’s Rare CatsLocation:MissoulaYesterday, the federal district court of Montana approved a settlement agreement reached between the State of Montana and conservation groups aimed at protecting threatened Canada lynx...