Blog
Federal Government Acknowledges Harm to Tribes from Dams
By Leonardo Aleksander Ryan The Columbia River Basin is easily one of the most integral parts of the Pacific Northwest because of the cultural and historical significance it holds. In a recent press release, the Nez Perce Tribe heralded a new federal analysis of Columbia River dams’ impacts on Tribes of the area as reinforcing…
A law student’s connection to the West
Advocates for the West is pleased to provide learning experiences for future environmental leaders through ongoing internship, externship, and clerkship opportunities. We spoke with Meridian Wappett, former Advocates for the West extern and current University of Montana law student, about her passion for, and connection to, the West. Advocates for the West: Will you please…
From One Winter in the Wilderness
The literary excerpt contained below was graciously shared by our longtime friend and supporter Pat Cary Peek (pictured at right). Pat’s book, One Winter in the Wilderness, recounts a winter spent with her husband, Dr. James Peek (pictured at left), at the University of Idaho’s Taylor Ranch Field Station within Idaho’s Frank Church-River of No Return…
2023 Advocates for the West Victories
Sage-Grouse in Idaho Advocates for the West won a significant victory to protect the small and declining eastern Idaho sub-population of the imperiled greater sage-grouse when a federal judge fully vacated a set of approvals by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) authorizing development of the Caldwell Canyon phosphate mine. Phosphate from the mine was slated to be used by…
Halting highway through iconic red cliffs is key to quality of life in Southern Utah
By Holly Snow Canada (The following first appeared as a letter to the editor in the St. George News.) The iconic red cliff wonderland crowning our city is protected, for now, from a four-lane highway thanks to tens of thousands of public comments and a recent U.S. District Court decision. The proposed Northern Corridor Highway…
EPA critical of state air pollution permit for proposed Stibnite Gold Project
Construction and operation of the proposed Stibnite Gold Project under the terms set forth in an air pollution permit issued by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) would not comply with the federal Clean Air Act. That message was made clear in an August 10 letter from Casey Sixkiller, Regional Administrator for the Environmental…
Take Action: Submit a Public Comment Pressing Federal Action on Salmon Protection
By Maggie Larson The Columbia River Basin is the crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest. It consists of about 250,000 square miles of rivers and tributaries, including the Snake River which feeds into the Columbia. The Columbia Basin was once home to one of the most abundant salmon runs in the U.S. but has been…
Heroes and Helping Hands
Former Advocates for the West board Chair Lin Laughy delivered the speech below at our 20th anniversary celebration in Boise, ID on June 14, 2023. Lin graciously provided a manuscript of his speech to present as a blog post. Thank you, Lin! Let me tell you a story. Joseph Campbell studied myths from around the…
No Surprises in Draft Report on Lower Snake River Dams
By Nicola Myers Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and Senator Patty Murray recently released their draft report on replacing services provided by the Lower Snake River Dams. The public is welcome to provide feedback on the report through July 11, 2022 at 5pm PST. A final report will be published later this summer. The report…
Advocates for the West joins call for large-scale sage-grouse protections
Advocates for the West recently joined birdwatchers and bird conservationists from across the country in advocating for the Bureau of Land Management to adopt large-scale protections for sage-grouse in the agency’s current sage-grouse land use planning process. The May 20 letter to Director Tracy Stone-Manning calls for using Areas of Critical Environmental Concern designations, as…
