WE WORK WONDERS for NATURAL WONDERS
When an environmental plight calls for lean and hard-hitting legal muscle, conservation groups call on us. Advocates for the West boosts the strength of environmental nonprofits and concerned citizens – advancing the mission of every partner 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 over 35 partners on more than 170 cases – 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 (link to wins list) record.
We work wonders to perpetuate natural wonders. It’s how the West is won.
March 23, 2015
Caribou Habitat Protection Followup Case
Case: Case 1:13-cv-00427-EJL
Advocates for the West is representing six conservation groups in a case challenging the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to cut more than 93% of proposed protected critical habitat for the endangered mountain caribou from 375,562 acres (which was the result of our last round of litigation on this issue) to a mere 30,010…
Albeni Falls Dam
Case: Case 12-70338
Advocates for the West filed a petition for review in federal appeals court challenging the Bonneville Power Administration’s approval of “flexible winter operations” at the Albeni Falls dam, which will allow sharp variations in the lake levels of Lake Pend Oreille, one of the largest lakes in North America, adversely impacting native species, causing erosion,…
California BLM FOIA
Case: Western Watersheds Project v. BLM, et al.
This case challenges BLM’s failure to fully respond to several Freedom of Information Act requests that have been pending for over two and a half years. Client Western Watersheds Project requested information through FOIA about the formulation of three California BLM Resource Management Plans, in important areas home to Greater sage-grouse. FOIA is a critical…
Cave Lake Sage-Grouse Habitat Protection
Case: WWP vs BLM – Cave Lake, NV
In a case led by Senior Attorney Todd Tucci, Advocates for the West filed a complaint on behalf of Western Watersheds Project to protect 145,000 acres of public lands in the Ely district of Nevada, which contains key sage-grouse habitat. This is a follow-up case to our broader, ongoing lawsuit challenging 16 BLM Resource Management Plans in Idaho, Nevada, Utah,…
February 26, 2015
Sonoran Desert National Monument Followup Case
Case: 2:13-cv-01028-PGR
This case is a follow-up to one we filed in 2008 that resulted in a settlement agreement forcing BLM to complete a new management plan for the Sonoran Desert National Monument. The Monument Proclamation determined that BLM could only permit livestock grazing in the area if it was compatible with protecting the natural resources on the monument, such as various plant…
Little Lost River Bull Trout
Case: WWP v. USFWS, 4:13-cv-176-BLW
Advocates for the West filed a new action in April 2013 to protect bull trout in the Little Lost River watershed in central Idaho, on behalf of client Western Watersheds Project. The beautiful Little Lost River valley is bordered on the west by the highest range in Idaho – the Lost River Range – and on…
Snowmobile Use in Kapka Butte Area and Proposed Sno-Park
Case: Snowmobile Use in Kapka Butte Area and Proposed Sno-Park
Kapka Butte is located in Oregon near Mt. Bachelor. It has long been a prime destination for backcountry skiers and snowshoers. For many years, they had exclusive use of this pristine area, but with the advancement in technology of snowmobiles, these machines can now go off-trail through deeper snow and up steeper inclines. Increased snowmobile…
February 7, 2013
Highway 12 Mega-Loads
Case: Idaho Rivers United v. U.S. Forest Service
This case challenges the U.S. Forest Service’s violation of its duties to preserve and protect the Lochsa and Clearwater Wild and Scenic River corridor and the Clearwater National Forest from the oil industry’s “mega-loads” of industrial equipment. The Idaho Transportation Department has given Exxon Mobil permits to haul over 200 massive loads of industrial equipment bound for the Alberta…
Dynamis Garbage Gasifier
Case: CVOC1221165
On November 19, 2012, Advocates for the West filed a petition for judicial review challenging the Ada County Commissioners creation of an industrial park at the County’s Hidden Hollow Landfill and approval of a lease agreement leasing nearly 10 acres at the landfill to Dynamis Energy, LLC. The petition, which was filed in Idaho state court…
Salmon River Suction Dredging
Case: CVOC1218520
On October 12, 2012, Advocates for the West filed a Petition for Judicial Review on behalf of Idaho Conservation League challenging the State of Idaho’s approval of a riverbed mineral lease to Mike Conklin. The lease would have allowed Mr. Conklin to intensively suction dredge a half-mile segment of the bed of Idaho’s famed Salmon River approximately 13…
