Case: Idaho Conservation League, Idaho Rivers Unites, and Golden Eagle Audubon Society v. U.S. National Forest
August 29, 2012 — US District Court Judge Edward Lodge ruled in our favor, finding that the Forest Service was arbitrary and capricious in approving the exploration without first considering the potential for water contamination caused by drilling numerous deep wells in an area littered with historic mining waste. Judge Lodge vacated the Forest Service’s […]
Case: Western Watersheds Project, Center for Biological Diversity, Grand Canyon Trust and Utah Environmental Congress v. U.S. Forest Service
February 14, 2013 — U.S. Magistrate Judge Ron Bush ruled in our favor on all 4 challenged decisions allowing the U.S. Forest Service to forgo conducting environmental analysis on 43 grazing allotments in Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. In 2010, Region 4 of the Forest Service renewed grazing permits for hundreds of allotments without conducting any […]
Case: Linwood Laughy et al. v. Conocophillips, Emmert International, and Idaho Transportation Department
As a result of our work, the Conoco transport was delayed for five months and only 1 of the 207 loads envisioned by Exxon traveled on Highway 12. Exxon was forced to cut the remaining loads in half and transport them along other routes. February 23, 2011 — Advocates for the West has filed a […]
Case: Valley Sun, LLC and Western Watersheds Project v. Bureau of Land Management
Advocates for the West represents Valley Sun, LLC and Western Watersheds Project on their challenge to a decision by BLM to cancel the Greenfire Preserve’s grazing permit due to reasons related to lack of grazing. On June 11, 2010, an ALJ granted Valley Sun a stay of BLM’s cancellation decision, citing potential harm identified by […]
Case: Wolf Recovery Foundation and Western Watersheds Project, et al v. U.S. Forest Service and USDA Aphis Wildlife Services
In the second round of this case, Plaintiffs Wolf Recovery Foundation and Western Watersheds Project challenged APHIS Wildlife Services for failing to conduct any environmental analysis of the impacts of its wolf control actions. Wildlife Services kills many wolves each year in the state of Idaho that are believed to have attacked livestock. These wolf […]
Case: Western Watersheds Project v. David Rosenkrance, Bureau of Land Management, William Wood, U.S. Forest Service, Jeffery Foss, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, David Mabe, and NOAA Fisheries
The Pahsimeroi Valley contains key habitat for three species of Endangered Species Act-listed fish: bull trout, chinook salmon, and steelhead. Yet BLM and Forest Service have not conducted monitoring and habitat improvements as required by their own ESA consultation, which is now very outdated. Their failure to meet fish habitat requirements or to consult over […]
Case: Western Watersheds Project v. William Wood, U.S. Forest Service, Steve Hartmann, Bureau of Land Management, Jeffery Foss, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and David Mabe, and NOAA Fisheries
Advocates for the West filed three new cases in June and July 2009 for client Western Watersheds Project, suing the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management over their legal violations in managing public lands in the Pahsimeroi and Lemhi watersheds of central Idaho. The Pahsimeroi and Lemhi watersheds offer vital habitat for endangered fish – […]
Case: Western Watersheds Project v. David Rosenkrance and Bureau of Land Management
The Court ordered BLM to develop a new Environmental Assessment (EA) and new grazing decisions within one year or grazing cannot continue. January 5, 2011 — Judge Lodge ruled in our favor on all three of our claims under the National Environmental Policy Act: that BLM failed to take a “hard look” at impacts to […]
Case: Western Watersheds Project v. David Rosenkrance and Bureau of Land Management
July of 2010 — The U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho agreed that BLM’s new decision failed to take account of the wilderness values of the Burnt Creek Wilderness Study Area, and declared it to be in violation of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. We’ve received a victory in our challenge […]
Case: Idaho Conservation League and Western Watersheds Projects v. Steele
The Pleasantview allotment covers 70,000 acres of mostly public lands near Malad City, in southeast Idaho. It offers habitat for greater sage-grouse, Columbia sharp-tail grouse, and other imperiled species; yet BLM has allowed excessive livestock grazing to badly damage the uplands and stream bottoms. Weeds and alien species are spreading, aided by livestock overgrazing of native […]