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.
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…
Grazing on Idaho’s East Fork of the Salmon
Case: Western Watersheds Project v. U.S. Forest Service
July 7, 2017 — We entered into a settlement agreement with the Forest Service to close the allotments to grazing during 2017 and 2018 – and no livestock will be allowed to return until stream health standards for trout and salmon are fully met. October 12, 2016 — We filed suit challenging the Forest Service’s status…
Point Reyes National Seashore
Case: Resource Renewal Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, and Western Watersheds Project v. National Park Service & Cicely Muldoon
July 12, 2017 — Advocates for the West reached a settlement agreement with the National Park Service. Under the agreement, the NPS will prepare a General Management Plan Amendment and an Environmental Impact Statement “that, at a minimum, addresses the lands currently leased for ranching in Point Reyes and in the north district of Golden Gate…
CuMo Mining Exploration Project
Case: Idaho Conservation League, Idaho Rivers United, and Golden Eagle Audubon Society v. U.S. Forest Service
July 11, 2016 — Advocates for the West secured a federal court victory for the second time in our ongoing battle to keep Canadian mining company “American CuMo” from developing in the Boise River watershed what it claims could be the largest open pit molybdenum mine in the world. This time it was a rare…
East Boulder Creek Gold Mining
Case: Idaho Conservation League v. U.S. Forest Service
We are pleased that East Boulder Creek will be better put back together for fish and wildlife that depend on it and hope that this case was a wake up call to the Forest Service that similar mining projects cannot simply be exempted from environmental review. October 28 2015 — We favorably dismissed our lawsuit…
Big Wood River Flows
Case: In the Matter of Application for Permits Nos. 37-22682 & 37-22852 in the name of Innovative Mitigation Solutions, LLC
October 17, 2015 — The Idaho Department of Water Resources has denied a water right application filed by Innovative Mitigation Solutions (IMS). The Big Wood sustains abundant fish and wildlife, and is a prized recreation destination both internationally and locally. The Big Wood, and its aquifers, also supply water to the communities Sun Valley, Ketchum,…
