WELC Newsletter Summer 2016 - Western Environmental Law Center

Our victory streak continues! Learn more
about our impact inside
New cases to protect forests, stop fracking,
and safeguard clean water
Special reports, new staff, and more...
Summer 2016
Defending the West
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lori Maddox
President
Karin P. Sheldon
Vice President
Kevin Kirchner
Treasurer
Phil Katzen
William Leaphart
Mike Lindsay
Dr. Lisa Manning
Peggy Nelson
Dyan Oldenburg
Corrie Yackulic
STAFF
Erik Schlenker-Goodrich
Executive Director
Matthew Bishop, Attorney
Rocky Mountains Office Director
Susan Jane Brown, Attorney
Wildlands & Wildlife Program Director
Sarah L. Goeth
Development Assistant
Pete Frost
Attorney
Dina Gonzales
Administrative Coordinator
Shiloh Hernandez
Attorney
Laura King
Attorney
David Lawlor
Director of Development
Michelle Loth
Administrative Assistant
Jackie Marlette
Development & Communications Coordinator
John Mellgren
Attorney
Lyndee Prill
Finance Officer
Andrea Rodgers
Attorney
Thomas Singer, Ph.D.
Senior Policy Advisor
Brian Sweeney
Communications Director
Kyle Tisdel, Attorney
Climate & Energy Program Director
Cover Photo: Wolverine © Daniel J. Cox/NaturalExposures.com
1
WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER
Looking Across the West
Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Executive Director
H
ere at WELC, we’ve
been thinking a lot about
“resilience.” Ecological and
community systems with resilience
withstand stress (from, say, climate
change) better than systems without
resilience. And systems with
resilience can adapt to changing
circumstances and conditions better
than systems without resilience.
Think of it this way: If you’re happy,
healthy, and have a great community of
support around you, you can deal with
stress and unpredictability far better
than if you’re miserable, sick, and
isolated from friends and neighbors.
So imagine a watershed that starts high
in mountain forests and meadows.
Climate change decreases snowpack,
melts snowpack far faster and sooner
than ever before, and wildlands and
downstream communities end up with
less water. Moreover, the impacts to
those wildlands and communities are
amplified by increased wildfire risk
and resource exploitation, such as
ill-advised oil and gas fracking that
fragments wildlife habitat, degrades
water quality, and exacerbates
climate change. As these impacts
add up, much of what we value as
Westerners—from healthy forests
to clean water—may unravel.
What do we do in the face of this
complex threat? We build resilience.
We protect high-mountain wetlands
that act as the sponges of our
watershed, filtering pollution and
providing durable downstream water
flow for wildlife and communities.
We protect and link core habitats to
ensure vulnerable wildlife species
such as lynx and wolverine have
the freedom to roam and capacity to
adjust to a changing climate. We keep
fossil fuels in the ground where they
belong to speed our transition to clean
energy and to prevent the impacts of
fossil fuels to our wildlands, wildlife,
and communities. And we foster
civic engagement by ensuring a level
playing field for our communities,
and holding agencies and corporations
accountable for their actions.
In this context, resilience is an
antidote for the despair often
provoked by climate change,
offering a pathway of action to a
destination of our own choosing.
As you read through this newsletter,
I hope you see the threads of our
resilience campaign emerging.
And as our recent wave of victories
shows, we’re taking great strides
forward for the American West and its
future. Working together, the future
is bright, thriving, and resilient.
For the West,
Erik Schlenker-Goodrich
The Victory Streak Continues!
W
e’re so grateful for our network of supporters. We think it’s important you know your support is going to one of the
most effective environmental advocacy groups in the West (a bold claim, indeed). For proof, look no further than
this list of victories from the past six months. Our victories are your victories. Thank you for all your support!
MONTANA LYNX
OREGON LNG
SANTA FE FOREST
We negotiated strong
protections for endangered
Canada lynx from accidental
trapping in Montana.
We helped convince the
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission to reject a
reckless LNG project.
We defended the Santa Fe
National Forest when it
rightly restricted off-road
vehicle use.
MONTANA COAL
MONTANA WATER
CLIMATE CHANGE
We kept 170 million tons
of coal in the ground by
halting an expansion at Bull
Mountain Coal Mine.
We stopped a permit that
would have allowed unlimited
coal mine pollution to the
Yellowstone River.
We forced Washington state
to write greenhouse gas
emissions rules to protect
future generations.
WILDLIFE SERVICES
OREGON RIVERS
COLORADO FRACKING
We were among the first
to beat Wildlife Services in
court, stopping a wolf-killing
plan in Washington state.
We helped save wild salmon
from destructive suction
dredge mining in many of
Oregon’s rivers.
We engaged early, and
stopped a harmful fracking
plan before it started near
Colorado’s Grand Mesa.
IDAHO LYNX
WOLVERINES
MORE DETAILS ARE IN THIS
NEWSLETTER AND ON OUR
WEBSITE, WESTERNLAW.ORG.
OUR SUPPORTERS MAKE ALL
THIS POSSIBLE! THANK YOU!
We won a court ruling that
the state of Idaho has illegally
allowed trapping that “takes”
protected Canada lynx.
FROM THE
MAILBAG ...
We forced the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service to reconsider
giving wolverines federal
protection under the ESA.
The environment (which includes all of us) needs you. Thank you.
- Linda and Keith Gelbrich of Corvallis, OR
SUMMER 2016
2
Stopping the Oregon Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal & Pipeline
S
ince 2011, many Oregonians and
others from diverse backgrounds
have analyzed, considered, and
finally opposed a proposed liquefied
natural gas terminal and pipeline in
southern Oregon known as the Jordan
Cove-Pacific Connector project.
Throughout the years, WELC has
represented, advised, and advocated
for many who oppose the project.
We brought our concerns to the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) and the governor, and used
Freedom of Information Act requests
to overcome shady dealings by
the energy companies involved.
Private property rights and climate
change took center stage in these
conversations, as the project
would bring fracked gas from the
Intermountain West and Canada across
more than 200 miles of public and
private lands, clearcutting a corridor
at least 50 feet wide across national
forests, rivers, and private lands alike.
The project would breathe life into
the state’s dying fossil fuel industry
as the largest greenhouse gas emitting
facility in Oregon, providing the
means to transport and export fracked
natural gas for decades. We believe
a rapid transition to renewables
coupled with a “keep it in the ground”
policy is absolutely necessary.
This work is critical to WELC’s larger
resilience strategy in several ways.
Habitat fragmented by pipelines means
less resilience for wildlife populations.
Leaks and spills reduce ecosystem
resilience. Fractured communities
unsure of their own private property
rights are less resilient, and climate
change is the worst offender of all.
Thanks in part to the efforts of WELC
Pipeline width to be clear
cut through the forest.
Attorney Susan Jane Brown, FERC
rejected the proposal in early 2016.
This battle is not over, however. The
energy companies have appealed
and FERC has indicated its intent
to reconsider the decision at some
indefinite future time. WELC played
an instrumental role in establishing the
high ground for opponents of this dirty
energy behemoth, and we will continue
to fight against this proposal that
would industrialize some of our most
cherished landscapes and contribute
immensely to climate change.
Victory! Protecting Wolverines Using Science, Not Politics
W
olverines are one of North
America’s most captivating
and ferocious creatures, but
less than 300 exist today in the lower
48 states because of humans trapping
and killing them. In addition, science
shows climate change may stifle
wolverine recovery by eliminating
nearly two-thirds of the snowy habitat
wolverines need for denning in the
contiguous U.S. within 75 years.
Apex predators like wolverines play
a crucial role in ecosystem resilience,
Thanks to our legal work, wolverines will be reconsidered
for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
3
WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER
and if they die out, their ecosystems
could suffer cascading declines.
Despite all this knowledge and against
the recommendations of its own
wildlife biologists, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service bowed to political
pressure and denied Endangered
Species Act protections for wolverines
in 2014. To protect wolverines and
the ecosystems they keep in check,
we challenged that decision in court.
Thanks to excellent work by
Matthew Bishop and John Mellgren
(a Michigan Wolverine, himself),
in April 2016 the federal district
court for Montana ruled the Fish
and Wildlife Service improperly
ignored science and violated the
Endangered Species Act. Now, the
feds must reconsider the decision,
and WELC will be there to ensure
wolverines get a fair shot at recovery.
Victory! Mandating Emissions Rules in Washington State
O
ur quest to force the
recalcitrant Washington State
Department of Ecology to
write a serious emissions rule that
protects the climate has been an
emotional roller coaster. Representing
eight young Washingtonians with
partner group Our Children’s Trust,
WELC Attorney Andrea Rodgers made
history when she successfully argued
to the King County Superior Court the
atmosphere is a public trust resource
our government is obligated to protect.
Ecology to promulgate an emissions
rule by the end of 2016 and
make recommendations to the
state legislature on science-based
greenhouse gas reductions in the
2017 legislative session. This
completely vindicated our hard work,
and represents a historic victory for
WELC and the climate movement.
Next, Andrea and the kids will
keep the pressure on Ecology for
science-based targets. As Judge
Hill said, “these kids can’t wait.”
We would’ve taken that as a victory,
but the Department of Ecology
surprised us all by withdrawing
its proposed emissions rule,
forcing us to return to court. What
happened next shocked even us.
In a dramatic ruling from the
bench, Judge Hollis Hill ordered
Youths secure a big win in Washington state for our
climate and for the future of our planet.
“Aren’t we children the real stakeholders here?
After all, it’s our future at stake.”
- Gabe Mandell, Age 14
Seattle, WA
Gabe is one of eight youth who successfully challenged the
Washington Department of Ecology—three times—for its
insufficient action to reduce emissions in the state.
WELC NOW OFFERS CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES
Leave a lasting legacy by setting up
a charitable gift annuity with the
Western Environmental Law Center.
To learn more about this option or
any of our legacy giving options,
please contact us at 541-255-0209.
Western Environmental Law Center’s tax identification number is 93-1010269. Please consult your financial advisor or estate
planning professional for assistance in determining the planned giving option that is best for you.
SUMMER 2016
4
Case Highlights from Across the West
16 14
12
10 3
1
11
13 8
5
9 2 1
17
7
6
4
13 4
15
Victory! 440,000 acres of
national forest saved
As the president takes positive steps to curb climate change,
the Bureau of Land Management is making available
billions of tons of fossil fuels on our public lands. BLM’s
recently approved resource management plans in Wyoming
and Montana exemplify this disconnect to the extreme.
The plans will determine the future of fossil fuels in the
Powder River Basin, and make available over 11 billion tons
of coal and a projected 18,000 oil and gas wells across tens
of millions of acres.
We’re arguing in court for a more detailed analysis of
alternatives to this climate catastrophe and a deeper study of
the environmental impacts these projects would have.
5
Protecting lynx from a
federal export program
In a win for common sense and quiet walks in the woods,
WELC Attorney John Mellgren successfully defended the
Santa Fe National Forest for its decision to restrict off-highway
vehicle use in some places of the forest.
Through an international endangered species trade treaty
called CITES, the federal government is facilitating mass
export of furs and other animal parts. But the government
program has skirted environmental review and public input.
Thanks to John’s work, more than 440,000 acres and 5,000
miles of routes, paths, and trails in the Santa Fe National
Forest will remain protected from motorized recreation. This
victory safeguards habitat for threatened Jemez Mountain
salamanders, Mexican spotted owls, goshawks, Rio Grande
cutthroat trout, southwestern willow flycatchers, and New
Mexico meadow jumping mice.
Under CITES, the Fish and Wildlife Service regulates the
export of pelts and other animal parts from wolves, bobcats,
and other “furbearers’’ from the U.S. This is achieved through
a permit and tagging system with states and trappers.
Containing the damage done by motorized recreation is the
right decision, and we were happy to successfully defend the
Forest Service for making the right call.
8
5
Saving 10 million acres from
coal mining and fracking
Montana Lynx p. 2
9
Idaho Lynx p. 2
In 2014 alone, the Service issued tags allowing the export
of 59,000 bobcat pelts, but has never publicly evaluated the
effects of this export program on native wildlife. Nor has it
looked at the enormous “bycatch” of non-target animals such
as the endangered Canada lynx typically caught in traps and
snares. We’re challenging this oversight.
12 Youth Climate Change p. 4
10 LNG Pipeline and Project p. 3
11 Protecting Wolverines p. 3
WELC is working in all 11 Western states providing legal services to more than 155 clients—for free.
2
Standing up for
Yellowstone’s grizzly bears
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will likely remove
grizzly bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem from the
endangered species list in 2016. In April, we co-signed
comments to the agency opposing this decision.
Faced with shrinking habitat, the loss of critical food
sources, and the impacts of climate change, grizzly bears are
struggling to survive. Today, only 800-1,000 grizzlies remain
in the lower 48 states, with about 700 of those calling the
Greater Yellowstone area home.
If the Yellowstone grizzlies are removed or “delisted” from
the endangered species list, lawmakers in Idaho, Montana,
and Wyoming have suggested that they will declare open
trophy hunting season on grizzlies.
6
Preventing damage to the
Kaibab National Forest
3
Victory! Salmon and
steelhead safeguarded
Suction dredge mining in southern Oregon’s rivers harms
wild coho salmon, listed as threatened under the Endangered
Species Act in the Rogue and many other rivers. Suction
dredge mining sucks up the river bottom through a vacuumlike hose and can remove or destabilize spawning gravel
and create turbidity, damaging already diminished wild fish
populations.
In March 2016, WELC Attorney Pete Frost scored a victory
for clean rivers and wild fish, helping defeat miners who
contended laws like the ridiculously outdated 1872 Mining
Act supersede environmental rules. Thanks to our work,
the court ruled against the miners, upholding a five-year
state moratorium on suction dredge mining in wild salmon
habitat.
7
Victory! Stopping reckless
fracking in Colorado
The Kaibab National Forest neighbors the Grand Canyon in
Arizona, and instituted paradoxical travel management plans
in its three districts. To prevent harm to the forest and its
wildlife, the plans prohibit unlimited cross-country travel from
off-road vehicles. However, the plans also allow motorized
big game retrieval within one mile of every designated road
in the forest. This opens more than 90 percent of the forest
to motorized cross-country travel, putting at risk delicate
habitat for species including threatened Mexican spotted owls,
California condors, goshawks, and black bears.
Thanks to administrative engagement from WELC Attorney
Laura King, the Colorado state Bureau of Land Management
office put the brakes on a proposal to drill 108 wells on
52,000 acres near the Grand Mesa.
We think protecting less than 10 percent of the forest’s
1.5 million acres from destructive motorized travel is
unacceptable, especially when we’re talking about endangered
wildlife habitat. We filed a federal lawsuit challenging these
self-conflicting plans in January.
Because Laura got involved by bringing this to BLM
managers’ attention, we preempted the need to litigate over
the mix-up. Laura and our other vigilant attorneys serve as
watchdogs to protect the places we all love from mistakes like
these. Thanks to Laura for her hard work toward this victory!
13
In a victory for residents of Whitewater and everyone
concerned with air and water quality in western Colorado,
BLM remanded the plan to its Grand Junction Field Office for
further environmental review based on the fact that the plan
did not analyze modern hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
17 Methane Waste Report and Rule p. 10
15 Protecting New Mexico from Oil and Gas p. 9
14 Defeating Wildlife Services p. 8
16 Salmon White Paper and CAFO p. 10
Coal in the Ground p. 7
6
Keeping Coal in the Ground
In central Montana, we kept 170 million tons of coal underlying 7,000 acres in the ground.
We also stopped toxic heavy metals from being dumped into state waters.
W
ELC is dedicated to
accelerating our country’s
transition away from dirty
coal energy. We scored two victories
in Montana, and we’re working on
another one in the Four Corners.
In late 2015, WELC Attorney Shiloh
Hernandez kept 170 million tons
of coal in the ground at the Bull
Mountain Mine in the foothills of
central Montana. We challenged
the Bull Mountain/Signal Peak
Mine expansion, arguing that the
agency’s analysis of impacts to water
employed an erroneous standard
and the evidence presented did not
show that the mine wouldn’t harm
groundwater. The Montana Board
of Environmental Review agreed
with us, finding that the mining
company’s analysis was insufficient
and a blatant violation of the law.
In March 2016, the Montana First
Judicial District Court rejected a water
pollution discharge permit that would
have allowed the Rosebud Mine near
Colstrip to dump toxic heavy metals
and other harmful pollutants into state
waters without limits. We challenged
the permit, which would have ignored
pollution feeding into the Yellowstone
River. Thanks to Shiloh’s efforts, the
Montana Department of Environmental
Quality will now think twice before
issuing bad permits like this one.
Next, we’re challenging the Obama
administration’s puzzling 25-year
extension of operations at the Navajo
Mine/Four Corners Power Plant. It’s
one of the largest and most polluting
coal complexes in the nation. The
power plant is the largest emitter of
nitrogen oxides in the U.S. and is
among the nation’s largest emitters of
greenhouse gas pollution and mercury.
As the coal industry collapses,
it makes little sense to delay our
transition away from the dirtiest fuel
on earth—especially in an area with
such solar and wind energy potential.
BECOME A KEYSTONE PARTNER
JOIN OUR MONTHLY GIVING PROGRAM
By becoming a monthly supporter, you ensure our legal team has the consistent
resources it needs year-round to defend the American West’s wildlife, wildlands, and
communities. Our Keystone Partners are the backbone of our organization, allowing us
to respond quickly and nimbly to defend the West.
“We support WELC because what’s left of the wild world
needs powerful, effective defenders.”
- Stephen Rose & Barbara Zaring
WELC Keystone Partners in Taos, New Mexico
WELCOME NEW
KEYSTONE PARTNERS:
7
WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER
Barbara and John
Broughton
Jonathan Evans
Elisabeth Jennings
Nancy Pitblado
Dr. Anthony Sobin
Victory! Defeating Wildlife Services
P
rotecting wolves is one of
our toughest jobs, but it’s
also one we’re passionate
about. We’re one of the only
environmental organizations to
successfully challenge the notorious
Wildlife Services in court, and we’re
looking to expand on that success.
Wildlife Services is a deeply
controversial program within the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Animal
Plant Health Inspection Service
responsible for killing millions of
wild animals every year including
wolves, grizzly bears, otters, foxes,
coyotes, and birds—with almost
no oversight or accountability.
When we challenged a plan in
Washington state to use the program
to escalate cruel wolf killings, many
felt Wildlife Services was untouchable.
For decades, they operated outside the
public eye, avoiding environmental
scrutiny and killing at will.
But on the merit of WELC Attorney
John Mellgren’s excellent legal work,
we dealt Wildlife Services one of its
first defeats in its macabre history.
WELC is standing up for this icon of the wild. Our recent
victory gives us hope for a future where wolves still run free.
John proved Wildlife Services’
environmental assessment failed
to provide data to support several
of its core assertions. For example,
Wildlife Services claimed killing
wolves reduced wolf-caused losses
of livestock, yet recent peer-reviewed
research from Washington State
University directly contradicts this
conclusion. Wildlife Services also
failed to address the ecological
effects of killing wolves, including
impacts on wolves in neighboring
states and on non-target animals,
WILDLIFE SERVICES is a stand-alone federal
extermination program under the USDA that
kills roughly 4 million animals per year with
almost no oversight or accountability. In 2014,
Wildlife Services killed:
322 gray wolves
61,702 coyotes
580 black bears
305 mountain lions
796 bobcats
454 river otters
FROM THE
MAILBAG ...
2,930 foxes
3 bald eagles
5 golden eagles
22,496 beavers
16,853 mourning doves
and more...
including federally protected
grizzly bears and Canada lynx.
Wildlife Services has long asserted
that it doesn’t need to comply with
our nation’s federal environmental
laws, like the National Environmental
Policy Act. But our victory
rejects this argument and requires
Wildlife Services to comply with
all federal laws, not just those it
finds convenient to observe.
Most recently, we’ve taken our proven
legal theory to neighboring Oregon.
We sued, arguing Wildlife Services
failed to explain why killing wolves
on behalf of livestock interests
should replace common-sense,
proactive and nonlethal alternatives.
Unproductive “conventional
wisdom” and myths surrounding
wolf management in the West
have made wolf recovery difficult.
But relying on science, we’re
making progress in restoring wolf
populations. Apex predators like
wolves are so incredibly important
to healthy, balanced ecosystems,
we simply must forge ahead.
Wolves need all the legal assistance they can get.
Thank you for speaking on their behalf.
- Mary F. Kaufman of Chicago, IL
SUMMER 2016
8
Protecting
Mexico from
the Oil and Gas
Industry
Training the New
Next Generation
of Environmental
Advocates
D
espite more than 100
protests from individuals and
organizations, in 2015 the
Bureau of Land Management and U.S.
Forest Service auctioned 20,000 acres
of the Santa Fe National Forest for
fracking.
To justify the lease sale, BLM relied
on a grossly outdated 2003 resource
management plan (RMP) that doesn’t
address modern fracking. This is the
same plan BLM is using to facilitate
Stopping Reckless Fracking.
extreme oil and gas exploitation in the
Greater Chaco landscape.
times more water —a significant
concern in the arid Southwest.
The outdated RMP specifically
excludes analysis of horizontal drilling
and multi-stage fracking, as these
technologies were unfeasible and
uneconomical 13 years ago. Today,
these techniques are used widely. BLM
is currently writing an amendment
to the RMP to account for these new
technologies—admitting that the
2003 RMP is obsolete. Yet, this hasn’t
stopped the agency from using the
outdated plan to authorize oil and gas
activity on public lands in the Santa Fe
National Forest and Greater Chaco.
Horizontal drilling and multi-stage
fracking use hundreds of thousands of
gallons of pressurized water and toxic
chemicals to shatter underground rock
formations. This toxic cocktail includes
known carcinogens and chemicals
harmful to human health. If a wellbore
is improperly sealed and cased or its
integrity is otherwise compromised,
these chemicals can escape as they
move through the wellbore, risking
groundwater contamination.
Horizontal wells have more than
double the surface impact (5.2 acres)
of vertical wells (2 acres) and emit
over 250 percent more air pollution,
including toxic volatile organic
compounds and greenhouse gases.
Horizontal wells also require 5-10
{
The leasing and development of the
Santa Fe National Forest and Greater
Chaco exemplify a dangerous pattern of
federal agencies attempting to sidestep
the law to frack New Mexico’s Mancos
Shale before any actual environmental
analysis occurs. WELC Attorney Kyle
Tisdel is fighting in court to ensure that
doesn’t happen.
}
WELC is accelerating the West’s transition away from dirty fossil fuels to the
abundant sun, wind, and other renewable opportunities the region offers.
We’re defending Greater Chaco Canyon from the oil and gas industry.
FROM THE
MAILBAG ...
9
WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER
Let’s leave a clean world environment for our children.
Thanks for everything you do.
- P. Brooks McGinnis of Portland, OR
Behind the Scenes
Protecting clean water and
salmon in Washington
WELC study bolsters federal
methane rules
WELC is dedicated to
reducing water pollution
in Puget Sound for the
sake of human health,
environmental health, wild
salmon, and shellfish beds.
Our challenge is that one of
the largest sources of this
pollution is a “sacred cow”
regulators in Washington
are afraid to touch:
industrial agriculture.
For nearly a decade, WELC
has helped craft our nation’s
first-ever federal limits on
methane pollution. The
administration reached a
milestone in May, when the
Environmental Protection
Agency finalized a rule
limiting methane emissions
from new and modified oil
and gas industry sources.
In north Puget Sound’s
Whatcom County, the
Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) found
that industrial dairies account for 66 percent of measured
nitrogen water pollution and are largely responsible for
shellfish bed closures from fecal coliform. Yet, of hundreds
of in-state industrial agriculture operations, Ecology only
requires a water pollution discharge permit for 14.
Today, the agency is working toward a new discharge
permit. To guide that process, WELC published a report
illustrating the scope of industrial ag’s role in Puget Sound’s
decline. We hope the report will serve as a cornerstone in
recovering Puget Sound’s wild salmon and water quality.
Knowing the industry
would incorrectly argue
against the rule as
duplicative of state regulations, we helped sustain the rule’s
momentum with a study of the issue. Our report, “Falling
Short,” by Thomas Singer, Ph.D. and Attorney Laura King,
details precisely how states regulate methane emissions, and
demolishes this argument against federal rules.
For the next phase of the Obama administration’s offensive
on methane, the Bureau of Land Management will issue
methane waste limits to cover existing oil and gas sources on
public lands. WELC is working to ensure these rules aren’t
watered down by industry, and we’ll do everything we can to
ensure they cross the finish line before Obama leaves office.
WELCome New Staff
SARAH LYNN GOETH
DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT
MICHELLE LOTH
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Sarah joined WELC as
development assistant in early
2016. Prior to WELC, Sarah
owned Windmill Bicycles in
Austin, Texas with her brother
and worked in development at
Earthjustice in San Francisco,
California. She’s a Texas State
University environmental studies
alumna and has a nose for secret swimming holes. If she’s
not planning her next trip to a National Park, she is writing
country songs and two-stepping. Sarah works from our
Eugene office and so far is enjoying life in Oregon.
Michelle is WELC’s new
administrative assistant in our
Eugene office. She received her
B.A. in environmental policy
with a cognate in sociology and
specialization in environmental
studies from Michigan State
University. Prior to joining WELC,
Michelle worked for the KaneDuPage Soil and Water Conservation District and interned
for The Nature Conservancy and Midwest Pesticide Action
Center. She enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and is
an advocate for the zero waste lifestyle.
Page 2: Megan Culbertson, © iStockPhoto.com/John Pitcher, Jonathan. Page 3: Martin Evans, © iStockPhoto.com/Anna Yu. Page 4: OCT, Tom
Bricker. Page 5: Jeremy Buckingham, Barclay C. Nix, Eric Kilby. Page 6: NPS/Tim Rains, Fish Eye Guy Photography, Deborah Lee Soltesz, Marko
Forsten. Page 7: BLM. Page 8: Cloudtail. Page 9: Thomas Shahan, Steve Corbato. Remit envelope: Michael Wilson.
SUMMER 2016
10
Western Environmental Law Center
1216 Lincoln Street
Eugene, Oregon 97401
NonProfit Org
US Postage
PAID
Eugene, OR
Permit No. 17
The Western Environmental Law Center uses
the power of the law to safeguard the wildlife,
wildlands, and communities of the American West.
We envision a West with thriving, resilient wildlands,
waters, and wildlife; a region powered by clean,
renewable energy; and communities that are rooted
in an ethic of conservation.
Help Us Defend the West: westernlaw.org/donate
If you would rather receive your newsletter electronically,
please let us know by e-mailing
[email protected]
Recycle this newsletter by sharing it with a friend!
Keep up with the latest news & happenings.
Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
facebook.com/westernlaw
twitter.com/westernlaw
This newsletter is printed on 100% recycled paper with soy inks.
Why I do what I do...
BY LORI MADDOX BOARD PRESIDENT
I grew up in West Virginia with creeks out my back door, bright
red cardinals so common they were overlooked, lightning bugs and
crawdads to catch, and mountains to explore. When my strong
and healthy dad died of cancer at 48 (I was barely 11), I noticed
the chemical companies and coal mines in my valley. I didn’t have
the words “environmental justice” in my vocabulary then, but I
knew something was wrong. I found solace in wild places and real
wisdom in the biological systems of our earth. I knew I needed to
give something of myself to protecting these things.
When I was in my early 20s, I learned from some important
mentors—one of whom I married—that law is an effective tool for
protecting the planet, when it’s in the hands of people who care
about justice. Now, I have the privilege to spend my days working
with environmental justice leaders around the world, including the
WELC team.
My family revels with me in the wonders of the American West
—we breathe clean air, we drink clean water—we are renewed
by the natural world again and again. We raft, hike, and play
in wild, remarkable, beautiful places. We try to remember to be
aware of our crazy good fortune. We are proud to play a small
part on the WELC team, helping to build ecosystem and community
resilience in the American West.
Offices
Headquarters:
1216 Lincoln Street
Eugene, Oregon 97401
Ph: 541-485-2471
Other Locations:
Helena, Montana | Santa Fe, New Mexico | Taos, New Mexico | Portland, Oregon | Seattle, Washington
www.westernlaw.org