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.
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
November 5, 2025 — Advocates for the West filed a supplemental complaint challenging an attempt by the BLM to sidestep a 2024 court order halting the Converse County Oil & Gas Project in the southern Powder River Basin of Wyoming and unlawfully expedite development of new wells. Despite the Court’s September 2024 ruling blocking approval…
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: Idaho Conservation League and Save the South Fork Salmon v. Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and Idaho Board of Environmental Quality
November 7, 2025 — Advocates for the West and our partners filed our opening brief in our state court case challenging the air pollution permit issued for the Stibnite Gold Mine. September 18, 2025 — An Ada County judge ruled in favor of Advocates for the West and our partners, denying DEQ’s motion to dismiss…
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
August 22, 2025 — U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez issued a final judgment holding that APHIS must prepare new environmental analysis that provides the public with more details on its future spraying plans and that APHIS must evaluate non-toxic spraying alternatives to control native grasshopper populations. June 23, 2025 — U.S. District Judge Marco…
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…
Stanislaus Winter Travel
Case: Motion to Intervene by WildEarth Guardians and California Wilderness Coalition
November 10, 2022 — Advocates for the West filed a reply brief arguing that the Forest Service failed to consider important information and offered conclusions inconsistent with facts in the record regarding over-snow vehicle impacts to Sierra Nevada red fox, Pacific marten, Sierra Nevada yellow- legged frog, and Yosemite toad. The brief also urges the…
Point Reyes National Seashore Followup Case
Case: Resource Renewal Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, and Western Watersheds Project v. National Park Service
August 1, 2025 — Advocates for the West filed our answering brief in a U.S. Ninth Circuit appeal by Marin attorney Andrew Giacomini of the district court’s decision denying intervention to anonymous “Doe” ranching tenants. The tenants seek to intervene in our case that is administratively closed and will likely be dismissed next year, following…
Sage Hen Project Logging
Case: Idaho Conservation League v. U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
October 19, 2022 — Advocates for the West reached a settlement requiring the Forest Service to develop an additional alternative with reduced road construction and commercial logging for the Sage Hen Restoration Project on Idaho’s Boise National Forest. December 20, 2021 — Advocates for the West filed a lawsuit on behalf of Idaho Conservation League (ICL)…
