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.
Idaho Wildlife Services Environmental Assessment
Case: Western Watersheds Project, WildEarth Guardians, Center for Biological Diversity, and Predator Defense v. USDA APHIS Wildlife Services
August 31, 2018 – Advocates for the West filed our remedies brief in this case, seeking interim injunctive relief and asking the Court to order Wildlife Services to prepare a legally adequate Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision within 3 years of the remedies order. June 22, 2018 – Advocates for the West won a…
Devil’s Corral Water Rights
Case: In the Matter of Application for Permit
January 23, 2020 — Facing mounting pressure in our water right protest, the development company Devil’s Corral backed down and asked to withdraw its old 1980s water right application. On January 23, 2020, the Idaho Department of Water Resources dismissed the application, ending Devil’s Corral’s attempts to circumvent Idaho water law and avoid public involvement. Devils…
Idaho Water Quality: Hells Canyon Pollution
Case: Petition to Revise the 2004 Snake River-Hells Canyon TMDL Under the Clean Water Act
November 13, 2017 — Advocates for the West filed suit against EPA administrator Scott Pruitt for failing to address nutrient pollution in Hells Canyon. March 9, 2015 — Advocates for the West filed a Petition on behalf of Idaho Conservation League asking EPA to revise the Hells Canyon Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)–a pollution budget intended to cleanup…
South Beaverhead Bighorn Sheep
Case: Western Watersheds Project and WildEarth Guardians v. U.S. Forest Service
Nov 20, 2017 — The Honorable Judge Dale granted our motion for Preliminary Injunction to stop fall/winter grazing of domestic sheep on the Snakey Canyon and Kelly Canyon allotments. You can read Judge Dale’s Memorandum Decision and Order below. November 15, 2017 — Advocates for the West attended court to stop controversial Sheep Station research that…
Sheeprocks Sage-Grouse Appeal
Case: Notice of Appeal-Western Watersheds Project, Center for Biological Diversity, and American Bird Conservancy v. Bureau of Land Management
October 31, 2017 — Advocates for the West filed an administrative appeal and petition for stay of BLM’s decision to lease priority sage-grouse habitat in central Utah for oil and gas development. The auctioned parcels are home to the isolated and imperiled Sheeprocks population of greater sage-grouse. The Sheeprocks population experienced a nearly 40 percent decrease over…
Winter Travel Plan Follow-up Case
Case: Winter Wildlands Alliance and WildEarth Guardians v. U.S. Forest Service
March of 2018 — The Forest Service withdrew its winter travel maps and committed to conduct winter travel planning on each of the three forests listed in our case – the Boise and Payette National Forests in Idaho and a portion of the Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming. We agreed to dismiss the case based…
Galena Mine Clean Water Notice of Intent to Sue
Case: Notice Of Intent To Sue U.S. Silver-Idaho, Inc. and Americas Silver Corporation Over Violations of the Clean Water Act
April 19, 2018 — Advocates for the West reached a settlement agreement with U.S. Silver over its violations. May 17, 2017 — Advocates for the West sent a notice of intent to sue to U.S. Silver and its parent corporation Americas Silver Corp., who own and operate the Galena Mine in the Silver Valley of…
Idaho Wildlife Services 2017 FOIA
Case: Western Watersheds Project v. USDA APHIS Wildlife Services
Finding out What Wildlife Services is up to in our State Advocates for the West filed suit on behalf of Western Watersheds Project, challenging Wildlife Services’ failure to adequately and timely respond to two Freedom of Information Act requests seeking information about Wildlife Services’ activities in Idaho. In both cases, Wildlife Services failed to fully…
Salmon River Suction Dredging
Case: Notice of Intent to Sue for Clean Water Act Violations
May 8, 2017 — Advocates for the West sent a notice of intent to sue to a suction dredge miner for discharging sediment and other pollutants in Idaho’s Salmon River without a Clean Water Act permit. Suction dredge miner Donald Smith has applied for a riverbed mineral lease from the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). If…
Wildlife Services Wolf-Killing in Idaho
Case: Western Watersheds Project, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Clearwater, WildEarth Guardians, and Predator Defense
March 11, 2020 — Advocates for the West and our allies secured a strong victory in this case in an agreement that sets strict limits on how and where a federal agency can kill wolves in Idaho, bans the use of M-44 “cyanide bombs” statewide, and prohibits the use of snares to kill wolves on…
