News

On Friday, October 23rd, the New York Times and Idaho Statesman ran an AP article with some great news for Idaho: the Department of Energy (DOE) decided to cancel its planned shipment of 25 spent nuclear fuel rods to Idaho National Laboratory from the Byron Nuclear Power Station in Illinois. We and our clients, former Idaho Governors Cecil D….

Our Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Linwood Laughy is the new Board President of Advocates for the West!  A long-time resident of Idaho’s Clearwater Valley, Lin has guided over 5,000 heritage travelers in north-central Idaho as an outfitter and through such organizations as Lindblad Expeditions/National Geographic. Lin cherishes his rural lifestyle beside the Middlefork of the Clearwater River…

For Immediate Release: BOISE, ID –  Former Idaho Governors Cecil Andrus and Philip Batt submitted comments today heavily criticizing the Department of Energy for not disclosing information to the public about two proposed shipments of commercial spent nuclear fuel rods to Idaho National Laboratory. The two proposed shipments would require Idaho to “waive” the provision of Governor…

Our Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Laird Lucas is returning as Executive Director, as Wendy Wilson departs to re-engage in her lifelong passion for policy and advocacy work on water, climate and energy issues. “We are all thankful for Wendy’s leadership in taking Advocates for the West to a new level as an organization,” said Laird Lucas. “As…

Former Idaho Governors Cecil Andrus and Philip Batt have retained Advocates for the West’s Director of Litigation, Laird Lucas, to fight the Department of Energy’s proposal to ship commercial spent nuclear fuel to Idaho for “testing” and “research” at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The former governors are upset because the 1995 Batt Settlement Agreement –…

When beautiful spring weather arrives in Boise, it’s easy to forget about the dismal days of winter inversions. As we all enjoy the clean, crisp air of springtime, Advocates for the West will be hard at work – ensuring improved air quality for every season! It’s no surprise to locals that air quality can be less than pristine…

BOISE, ID – In response to a lawsuit brought by Senior Attorney Laurie Rule on behalf of six conservation allies, a federal court ordered the US Fish and Wildlife Service to reconsider its 2013 decision to reduce by 90 percent its designation of critical habitat for the endangered mountain caribou. The court found in Monday’s decision that the agency did not give…

BOISE, IDAHO – On March 5, 2015, former Idaho governors Cecil D. Andrus and Philip E. Batt called upon the State of Idaho and the federal Department of Energy to fully disclose their plans for shipments of commercial spent nuclear fuel to the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).Representing the Governors, Advocates for the West Director of Litigation, Laird Lucas, sent a letter today to Energy Secretary…

ARIZONA – On Thursday, February 26th, Federal District Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt found that “[T]he process by which BLM made its decision to allow grazing on the Sonoran Desert National Monument…was not adequately explained nor adequately supported…and thus violates NEPA.” This is a tremendous victory for the delicate Sonoran landscape and its many sensitive species, such as…

DENVER, CO: On Tuesday, January 20th, Advocates for the West filed suit against the US Fish and Wildlife Service on behalf of WildEarth Guardians and retired state biologist Dr. Clait Braun, seeking endangered species protections for the rare Gunnison sage-grouse. Despite clear ongoing threats to the bird’s survival, in November 2014, the agency designated Gunnison sage-grouse as a ‘threatened’ species, rather than the…