WILDLIFE in the WEST
Threatened and endangered species in the West cover the gamut. They are bighorn sheep and wolves. They are sage-grouse and salmon. They are pygmy rabbits and spotted frogs.
Our wildlife cases wield the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and others to halt habitat destruction – unchecked grazing, industrial development, mining exploration, obsolete dams – wildlife in the West face these and many other threats daily.
As climate change and human activities cause the loss and fragmentation of habitats, our work becomes increasingly vital. We strive to protect and boost diminishing wildlife populations – from the mighty bighorn to the fragile frog.
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
January 10 — Advocates for the West filed our reply brief in the remedies phase of this case. November 15, 2024 — Advocates for the West filed our remedy brief in this case, seeking a deadline for APHIS to complete a new programmatic environmental analysis, as well as a requirement to provide notice to the…
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…
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)…
Sawtooth National Forest Water Diversions
Case: Idaho Conservation League v. U.S. Forest Service
August 25, 2021 — Advocates for the West secured a victory in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to protect threatened Idaho salmon, steelhead, and bull trout from irrigation water diversions in Idaho’s Sawtooth Valley. The Ninth Circuit decision upholds our lower court win that requires the U.S. Forest Service to consult with experts and protect…
Willamette Basin Water Reallocation
Case: WaterWatch of Oregon Northwest Environmental Defense Center and WildEarth Guardians v. Army Corps of Engineers and R.D. James
July 15, 2021 — Advocates for the West received a strong ruling in our favor when the court issued a draft order outlining the actions that the Army Corps must immediately take to protect threatened salmon and steelhead in the Willamette River. Judge Hernandez made clear he “has no patience for further delay or obfuscation in…
Sonoran Desert National Monument Followup Case
Case: Western Watersheds Project and Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management
December 20, 2024 — The Bureau of Land Management released a final decision on its livestock grazing plan for the National Monument, under which the agency will only authorize grazing in years with above-average annual precipitation and forage production. The decision requires BLM to analyze forage availability before allowing brief periods of grazing for 30…
Oil & Gas Leases in Sage-Grouse Habitat
Case: Western Watersheds Project and Center for Biological Diversity v. Ryan K. Zinke, David Bernhardt; and BLM
January 17, 2024 — Advocates for the West won a victory upholding our Phase One win in this case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that the first Trump administration illegally approved hundreds of oil and gas leases on public lands and prohibited any further development of those leases. The leases…
Caldwell Canyon Phosphate Mine
Case: Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project, and WildEarth Guardians v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Mary D'Aversa, and U.S. Department of the Interior
September 12, 2024 — Advocates for the West and our partners finalized an agreement with mining company P4 that will result in millions of dollars in payments and other significant measures to benefit conservation of sage grouse and other wildlife. Under the agreement, P4—a subsidiary of Bayer AG, formerly Monsanto—agrees to contribute more than $5 million…
