WE WORK WONDERS for NATURAL WONDERS
When an environmental plight calls for lean and hard-hitting legal muscle, conservation groups, Native American Tribes, and concerned citizens call on us. Advocates for the West boosts the strength of our partners by providing free legal representation in federal court—advancing the mission of every client by putting the power of law and science on the side of the West.
Since our founding in 2003, Advocates for the West has provided free legal support to our partners with an 85% record of success.
Smart and efficient, our attorneys work with partners to develop strategic cases aimed at enforcing the nation’s bedrock environmental laws. We handle an extensive caseload with an impressive win record.
We work wonders to perpetuate natural wonders. We win for the West.
Grand View Feedlot Clean Water Act Enforcement
Case: Snake River Waterkeeper v. J.R. Simplot Company and Simplot Livestock
June 24, 2024 — A federal judge issued a memorandum decision and order denying Simplot’s motion to dismiss the case. Simplot filed a motion to dismiss the case in July 2023, arguing that Snake River Waterkeeper (SRW), our client-partner in the case, “failed to describe exactly where, when, and how such alleged illicit discharges occur”…
Galena Mine Clean Water Act Enforcement
Case: Idaho Conservation League v. U.S. Silver
March 30, 2023 — Representing the Idaho Conservation League (ICL), Advocates for the West filed a Clean Water Act (CWA) citizen enforcement suit against mining company U.S. Silver for unlawful discharges of arsenic, lead, and other pollutants at the Galena Complex Mine in north Idaho. The pollution into the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River and…
Bonneville Power Administration: Reserves Distribution
Case: Idaho Conservation League, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, and Idaho Rivers United v. Bonneville Power Administration
June 28, 2024 — Advocates for the West filed an opening brief in our FY2023 reserves distribution case, which is being heard alongside our FY2022 case. June 7, 2024 — Advocates for the West filed our reply brief in our FY2022 case. March 15, 2024 — Advocates for the West filed our opening brief in…
Bonneville Power Administration: FOIA Request for Kintama Records
Case: Advocates for the West v. Bonneville Power Administration
December 15, 2022 — Advocates for the West filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit against the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to compel the federal agency to produce certain records as required by law. The records concern BPA’s relationship with Canadian research company Kintama Research Services. Over the last decade, BPA has funded some of Kintama’s…
Converse County Oil & Gas Drilling
Case: Powder River Basin Resource Council and Western Watersheds Project v. U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Bureau of Land Management
May 16, 2024 — Advocates for the West filed our reply in support of summary judgment and response to cross-motions for summary judgment. January 26, 2024 — Advocates for the West filed our summary judgment brief. July 14, 2023 — Staff Attorneys Sarah Stellberg and Hannah Goldblatt along with Senior Attorney Todd Tucci traveled to…
Redfish Lake Cell Tower
Case: Petition for Environmental Review of AT&T Proposed Tower in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area Near Redfish Lake, ID
January 27, 2024 — Advocates for the West filed an Application for Review, asking the Federal Communications Commission to review the denial of our Petition for Environmental Review and to require an Environmental Impact Statement or Environmental Assessment in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act for AT&T’s proposal to construct a commercial cell tower…
Stibnite Mine Air Quality Permit
Case: Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho Conservation League, and Save the South Fork Salmon v. Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
May 9, 2024 — The Idaho Board of Environmental Quality issued a written decision invalidating Perpetua Resources’ air pollution permit for the proposed Stibnite Gold Mine in Valley County. Blasting and hauling operations at the proposed mine would emit massive amounts of arsenic-laden dust. The Board found that the Department of Environmental Quality failed to…
Removal of Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands
Case: Defenders of Wildlife and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance v. U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management
April 12, 2023 — Advocates for the West reached a court-approved settlement agreement, requiring the Bureau of Land Management to abandon the Pinyon-Juniper Categorical Exclusion Rule and issue a new decision by September 30, 2024. June 30, 2022 — Advocates for the West filed a lawsuit challenging the Bureau of Land Management over a Trump-era…
Rangeland Pesticide Spraying
Case: Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and Center for Biological Diversity v. Kevin Shea and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
March 22, 2024 — Advocates for the West presented oral argument on summary judgment. December 21, 2023 — Advocates for the West filed our summary judgment reply brief. October 3, 2023 — Advocates for the West filed our motion for summary judgment and accompanying memorandum over APHIS’s rangeland pesticides program, which threatens serious harm to…
Kilgore Mine Exploration Followup Case
Case: Idaho Conservation League and Greater Yellowstone Coalition v. U.S. Forest Service
January 10, 2023 — Advocates for the West filed our reply brief on summary judgment. November 1, 2022 — Advocates for the West filed our opening brief in support of a motion for summary judgment. May 26, 2022 — Advocates for the West filed a new complaint challenging the U.S. Forest Service’s latest approval of…
