Washington

Public Lands Sale FOIA Violations

Public Lands Sale FOIA Violations

Case: The Wilderness Society v. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

January 6, 2026 — Representing The Wilderness Society, Advocates for the West filed a federal lawsuit seeking to compel the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release records related to a joint federal initiative targeting the sale of public lands […]

State and Industry Challenges to Public Lands Rule

State and Industry Challenges to Public Lands Rule

Case: States of Utah and Wyoming v. Deb Haaland, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Conservation Lands Foundation, and The Wilderness Society

October 1, 2024 — Advocates for the West and our partners at Conservation Lands Foundation, The Wilderness Society, and Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance filed a motion to intervene to defend BLM’s Public Lands Rule against yet another lawsuit brought this past summer by the American Farm Bureau and other industry trade associations representing the oil […]

Bureau of Land Management Rangeland Degradation

Bureau of Land Management Rangeland Degradation

Case: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Western Watersheds Project v. Debra Haaland, Tracy Stone-Manning, and U.S. Bureau of Land Management

September 13, 2023 — Advocates for the West filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for its failure to abide by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act to determine the prioritization and timing of environmental analyses for livestock grazing allotments on public […]

Bonneville Power Administration: Reserves Distribution

Bonneville Power Administration: Reserves Distribution

Case: Idaho Conservation League, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, and Idaho Rivers United v. Bonneville Power Administration

December 2, 2024 — Advocates for the West presented oral argument in both our FY2022 and FY2023 reserves distribution cases before a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit panel. September 6, 2024 — Advocates for the West filed a reply brief in our FY2023 reserves distribution case. June 28, 2024 — Advocates for […]

Bonneville Power Administration: FOIA Request for Kintama Records

Bonneville Power Administration: FOIA Request for Kintama Records

Case: Advocates for the West v. Bonneville Power Administration

December 15, 2022 — Advocates for the West filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit against the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to compel the federal agency to produce certain records as required by law. The records concern BPA’s relationship with Canadian research company Kintama Research Services. Over the last decade, BPA has funded some of Kintama’s […]

Bonneville Power Administration: Ratemaking

Bonneville Power Administration: Ratemaking

Case: Advocates for the West Intervened in Bonneville Power Administration's Bi-annual rate case

February 3, 2023 — Advocates for the West filed our reply brief. October 21, 2022 — Advocates for the West filed an opening brief urging the Court to hold that BPA violated the Northwest Power Act in making its BP-22 rate decision, to remedy that violation by remanding BPA’s decision, and to order injunctive relief. […]

Protecting Bighorn Sheep in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Protecting Bighorn Sheep in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Case: WildEarth Guardians and Western Watersheds Project v. Kristin Bail and U.S. Forest Service

June 12, 2023 — Advocates for the West filed a settlement agreement in federal court requires the U.S. Forest Service to take action to protect nearly half of the wild bighorn sheep in Washington state from disease outbreaks originating from domestic sheep. Under the settlement, the Forest Service will complete a long-overdue environmental review in […]

Bonneville Power Administration: FOIA Records Request

Bonneville Power Administration: FOIA Records Request

Case: Advocates for the West v. Bonneville Power Administration

October 5, 2020 – Advocates for the West filed a motion for partial summary judgment and we are now moving for a court order requiring BPA to disclose documents to us at an accelerated pace. June 26, 2020 — Advocates for the West filed suit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to compel the Bonneville […]

Colville National Forest Wolves

Colville National Forest Wolves

Case: WildEarth Guardians, Western Watersheds Project, and Kettle Range Conservation Group V. US Forest Service

January 22, 2021 — Advocates for the West, in partnership with Jennifer Schwartz of WildEarth Guardians and Talasi Brooks of Western Watersheds Project, jointly filed a summary judgement brief, along with declarations from wolf expert Carter Niemeyer, Kettle Range Conservation Group executive director Timothy Coleman, and biologist Jocelyn Leroux. Our filing compels the court to find that […]

Salmon and Steelhead Die-Offs in Columbia and Snake Rivers

Salmon and Steelhead Die-Offs in Columbia and Snake Rivers

Case: Columbia Riverkeeper v. Scott Pruitt, Administrator of EPA

May 19, 2020 — EPA released its TMDL to control heat pollution in the Columbia and Snake rivers. EPA’s plan is further evidence that removing the four Lower Snake River dams is necessary to restore salmon and orcas. March 30, 2020 – The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the EPA’s petition to rehear this case. […]