Fall 2014Defending the West

Fighting for the Pacific Gray Wolf, Ocelot, Wolverine, and Lynx

Victories! Protecting Salmon, Owls, Night Skies, and the Santa Fe National Forest

Meet our new Board Members and Staff

1 WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Corrie YackulicPresident

Lori MaddoxVice President

Phil Katzen

Kevin Kirchner

Mike Lindsay

Lisa Manning

Peggy Nelson

Karin Sheldon

STAFF

Erik Schlenker-GoodrichExecutive Director

Elizabeth BergFoundations Coordinator

Matthew Bishop, AttorneyRocky Mountains Office Director

Susan Jane Brown, AttorneyWildlands & Wildlife Program Director

Mary CedarwolfFinance Officer

Natalie DeNaultDevelopment & Administrative Assistant

Pete FrostAttorney

Dina GonzalesAdministrative Coordinator

Shiloh HernandezAttorney

Geoff HickcoxOf Counsel

Hillary JohnsonDirector of Communications

Matt KennaOf Counsel

Laura KingLegal Fellow

David LawlorDirector of Development

Jackie MarletteDevelopment & Communications Coordinator

John MellgrenAttorney

Andrea Rodgers HarrisOf Counsel

Tom SingerSenior Policy Advisor

Kyle TisdelAttorneyCover Photo © Jim Kruger/iStock.

On a recent fall day, I powered down my computer and turned off my phone. I’d had enough that day of news, information, questions, and answers to questions flowing from my computer and phone.

To get a different perspective, I went outside and laid down on a patch of warm grass in my backyard, in the shade of an ash tree I had planted a few years back. I looked up, watching clouds slowly arc and then dissipate across a very blue New Mexico sky.

This serene moment brought to mind the beautiful and haunting lines from Mary Oliver’s The Summer Day: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Each time I read this poem, I am compelled to witness, simply, the beauty of this Earth. Too often I forget that beauty in the hustle and bustle of life. When I remember, it grounds and roots me, clarifying my options.

In environmental advocacy, such clarity is key. It’s hard to know the best strategic path forward to safeguard our wildlands, wildlife, and communities if you forget what it is you’re actually trying to protect.

And, in the face of daunting challenges, it’s far too easy to get mired in the compulsions imposed by our political

and economic power structures and to adhere to conventional wisdom and so-called “political and economic realities.”

The truth is, those “realities” aren’t serving us so well. And that’s precisely why I’m proud of the work of the Western Environmental Law Center.

Rather than accept “realities,” we use the power of the law to shape realities: to ensure that wolverine and lynx are afforded the full suite of Endangered Species Act protections; to protect the Pacific gray wolf from indiscriminate killing; to restore wild salmon runs across the Northwest; to safeguard the ancient forests, lands, and rivers of the American West; and to combat climate-damaging dirty coal and risky fracking.

It is in this way, together, that we witness the beauty of Earth in the here and now, and take action to safeguard its future for our children and for the Earth’s own sake.

Thank you for joining us as we make our own realities of an American West with vibrant and healthy wildlands, waters, and wildlife.

For the West,

Erik Schlenker-Goodrich

Looking Across the West Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Executive Director

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FALL 2014

On a late summer day this August, a sniper leaned out of a government

helicopter and killed the Huckleberry Wolf Pack’s alpha female.

What was her offense? Members of the Huckleberry Wolf Pack had attacked sheep in eastern Washington, so state wildlife officials permitted federal gunmen to kill up to four members of the pack—despite the rancher’s failure to take action to avoid wolves and protect his livestock.

An “unfortunate development” is how state officials labeled the accidental killing of the pack’s breeding female.

With only 52 wolves in 13 packs and wolf recovery in the beginning stages, Washington officials had given snipers from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services specific instructions to not harm the alpha, or breeding, pair.

We filed several petitions to stop the hunt, but to no avail. In fact, for the past two years, as detailed in previous newsletters, we have been working with conservation partners to ensure that Washington wildlife managers support and encourage the return of wolves. Regrettably, this has been an uphill battle.

The reckless killing of the Huckleberry Wolf Pack’s breeding female by Wildlife Services, exemplifies why we are fighting to remove the program’s authority to kill wolves in the state.

Wildlife Services is a relatively unknown program under the USDA that kills roughly 3 million animals a year—such as foxes, coyotes, otters, and birds—with little public oversight or accountability. (In fact, concern over the lawlessness of the program has prompted an investigation by the agency’s inspector general.)

After undergoing a superficial environmental assessment, the program

was granted blanket authority to kill Washington’s endangered wolves.

Wildlife Service’s cursory analysis failed to provide data to support some of its core assertions, including whether killing wolves actually reduces wolf-caused loss of livestock. It also failed to address the ecological impacts of killing wolves in Washington, specifically the effect on other imperiled wildlife and wolf packs in neighboring states.

We submitted extensive comments to improve the analysis, but they were ignored. We are now assessing our options to bring Wildlife Services to court to require a more thorough environmental impact statement that addresses the full effect of empowering the rogue program to kill wolves in Washington.

After being hunted and trapped to extinction by the 1930s, wolf recovery began in 2008, when an alpha pair from Idaho settled in eastern Washington.

The importance of how the state manages the returning wolves cannot be overstressed. Policies and practices will determine the ultimate success or failure of wolf recovery in Washington.

Wildlife Services’ authority to kill wolves introduces new roadblocks to wolf recovery in Washington.

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3 WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER

The Santa Fe National Forest, stretching across 1.6 million acres

in northern New Mexico, contains some of the finest mountain scenery and recreational opportunities in the Southwest.

The forest encompasses four Wilderness Areas and three rivers designated as Wild and Scenic. It is home to rare wildlife, such as the Mexican spotted owl, southwestern willow flycatcher, Jemez Mountains salamander, Rio Grande cutthroat trout, and the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.

Unfortunately, this unique forest ecosystem has suffered from decades of intense off-road vehicle (ORV) abuse. With 7,832 miles of trails in the forest open to motorized vehicles, SFNF had one of the highest densities of roads per acre of any national forest.

Crisscrossing roads and traffic damage wildlife habitat and water quality,

destabilize hillsides and stream banks, and destroy the opportunities for others to enjoy quiet recreation.

In 2012, to help the wildlands and wildlife recover, the SFNF supervisor reduced the routes and areas open to motor vehicles. (Prior to making the decision, the agency held 59 public meetings, workshops, and field trips, and received 3,000 public comments.)

The final decision closed 5,369 miles of vehicles routes, and protected a number of key resources, including habitat for the Jemez Mountains salamander, an animal threatened with extinction.

Though nearly 2,500 miles are still open to ORVs, the New Mexico Off-Highway Vehicle Alliance sued the U.S. Forest Service in federal court contesting the reduction.

We joined the lawsuit to defend the agency’s decision and ensure that the route closures and resource protections remain in place.

Victory! In July, the Court ruled against NMOHVA, finding their arguments to be without merit. They are appealing the decision, and we’ll keep fighting to help the Forest Service protect SFNF’s environment and wildlife.

Victory! Santa Fe National Forest Safeguarded from ORV Abuse

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Rampant ORV use destroys wildlife habitat, water quality, sensitive landscapes, and opportunities for quiet recreation.

THANK YOU SUMMER LEGAL INTERNSANDREE PHELPSEUGENE OFFICE

Andree focused on our wildlife program, conducting extensive legal research on our cases to protect

the gray wolf, wolverine, lynx, and jaguar. She attends the University of Oregon School of Law.

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WILL LINDSEYHELENA OFFICE

Will helped us develop legal strategies for our cases with a focus on designing ways to clean up (or close) coal mines

and protect endangered species. He attends Tulane University Law School.

Victory! Santa Fe NF Protected From ORV AbuseLand open to cross country use: Routes open to motorized use: BEFORE: 443,848 acres BEFORE: 7,832 miles NOW: 41 acres NOW: 2,463 miles

WILL DAVIDSONTAOS OFFICE

Will worked to stop oil and gas development in Colorado’s fertile North Fork Valley and conducted research to

revamp oil and gas development on public lands. He attends the University of Colorado Law School.

Antonio loves lynx and wolves, and emptied out his piggy bank to make a donation to help protect these animals. His drawing of a lynx, which hangs in our office, reminds us of the importance of our work.

Thank you Antonio and your parents Phillip Patti and Molly Barth. We are inspired by your support, and proud to protect the wildlife that you care about. No gift is too small to support what you believe in.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT: ANTONIO PATTI, 4 YEARS OLD

4FALL 2014

Lynx Win Full Protection, But Fight Still On for Secured Habitat

Lynx are so rare that in 2000 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

protected the wild cat as a species threatened with extinction under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Unfortunately, the agency failed to protect lynx wherever they roamed, and instead only provided protections for lynx when they were in one of 14 designated states.

In other words, a lynx that crossed from Colorado (where they were protected) into New Mexico (where they weren’t) while chasing a snowshoe hare through the southern Rockies would lose its federal protection and could be hunted.

This isn’t just a theoretical concern. Since 2006, 14 of the 61 lynx in New Mexico were killed because they lacked federal protection.

Recognizing that the use of state borders to demarcate safe zones for lynx made no sense scientifically, politically, or legally, we filed the first of several lawsuits in 2006 to protect lynx wherever they roam in the contiguous United States.

Victory! This fall, we finally prevailed. The lynx Endangered Species Act listing now includes the entire Lower 48. No longer will a lynx risk losing federal protection when roaming, or chasing prey, from one state to another.

Unfortunately, simultaneous with this landmark lynx decision, the agency released a new plan for protecting lynx habitat that falls way short of what the wild cat needs to recover.

It took the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service six years after listing lynx as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2000 to designate lynx critical habitat.

Critical habitat is essential to an animal’s recovery. When an area is designated, federal agencies must ensure their actions will not adversely impact the wildlife habitat.

When the agency finally got around to designating habitat for lynx in 2006, the amount of habitat protected was inadequate to allow for the wild cat to recover.

After two lawsuits challenging the critical habitat designation, a district court in Montana told the agency to make improvements.

Instead, the agency announced a new reduced critical habitat plan. The new plan excludes 1.6 million acres that are important occupied lynx habitat, including the southern Rockies in Colorado, where about 120 lynx live, and the Kettle Range in northeast Washington, where a lynx was spotted this July.

As with previous plans, the wild cat’s currently occupied and historic habitat in New Mexico, Utah, and Oregon is not designated critical habitat.

By ignoring huge swaths of currently occupied lynx habitat, the agency is drastically limiting the ability of lynx to avoid extinction in the Lower 48.

We have notified the agency of our intent to sue unless it increases the critical habitat for lynx. Stay tuned!

“It took a formal petition and two lawsuits, but we have finally secured federal protection for imperiled lynx wherever they roam in the Lower 48. This is a huge victory for the future of this wild cat.”

- Matthew Bishop, WELC Attorney

5WELC is currently collaborating with and providing legal representation to more than 120 organizations, coalitions, and individuals.

Photo Credits: 1. © Step2626/iStock. 2. © Anna Yu/iStock 3. NPS 4. USFWS 5. Marko Forsten 6. Catia Juliana 7. Plains and Prairie Potholes

The recent discovery of Oregon’s wandering wolf, known as OR-7, and his pups is one reason we filed a lawsuit against the Bybee Timber sale, a 16,000-acre logging project near Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon.

The environmental analysis for the logging project was completed before the wolf and his pups moved to the area, so the impacts of the logging on the wolf family were not investigated. Further, the logging would occur in a mostly roadless area that would forfeit its potential to be designated a Wilderness Area if logging roads are built.

We are asking the court to order the U.S. Forest Service to update its environmental analysis to consider the effects on the wolves (a threatened species), and to protect the roadless areas, which are some of the last wilderness in Oregon.

The Salmon River is one of the most remote and beautiful areas in the Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion of southern Oregon/Northern California. The 751-mile watershed lies entirely within the Klamath National Forest.

In the wake of the 2013 Salmon River fire, which burned 14,754 acres of the Klamath National Forest, the U.S. Forest Service planned to log hundreds of acres of sensitive watershed set aside for salmon spawning and old-growth critical habitat reserves for threatened northern spotted owls.

Victory! After learning of our plans to litigate to protect the wildlife habitat, the Forest Service agreed to remove from the sale the old-growth trees and spotted owl habitat in exchange for us dropping the lawsuit.

At age 15, Kelsey Juliana filed a lawsuit against the state of Oregon for failing to protect essential natural resources, including the atmosphere, as required under the public trust doctrine. Unfortunately, the trial court dismissed the case without a hearing on the merits.

Fast forward three years: We are happy to report that this spring, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal and found that the courts, not the politicians, should decide if the government is obligated to protect the atmosphere. As part of her legal team, we look forward to helping Kelsey present the need for climate action at trial.

Watch Kelsey on the Bill Moyers news show explain how and why, at such a young age, she got involved in litigation to protect our climate: vimeo.com/106561145.

1 Victory for Salmon & Owls!

Defending Wolves & Forests4

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Case Highlights from Across the West

5 Victory! Youth Climate Case Wins Appeal

Fighting for the Safe Return of Gray Wolves in Washington p. 2

Victory! Safeguarding the “Roost” in Glacier National Park p. 710

Signal Peak Energy, LLC recently won approval to double its coal mine, near Billings, Montana, and remove another 170 million tons of coal from under the Bull Mountains.

The underground mine is already causing the mountains to cave in and pollute the groundwater—harming neighboring ranchers who depend on clean water for their livestock.

Under Montana law, a permit to mine must be denied if it will degrade water quality. However, in this case, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality ignored the law and the evidence that continued mining of this area will severely pollute groundwater and harm local ranching operations.

At the behest of local ranchers, we are appealing the mine expansion to protect their livelihoods and the climate.

Safeguarding Clean Water7

In a shocking turnabout, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, bowing to political pressure, has withdrawn its proposal to protect the wolverine as a species threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act.

The agency’s conclusion that the wolverine is not warranted for listing as a threatened species is contrary to the advice of its own biologists, peer-reviewed papers, the findings of a nine-biologist panel, and against the recommendations of the Society of Conservation Biologists and American Society of Mammalogists. Only 250-300 wolverine exist in the Lower 48.

The day after this contemptible reversal, we filed notice of intent to sue the agency to force it to protect the rare wolverine from extinction.

Fighting for Wolverines

Approval to drill 108 new wells, plus build roads and pipelines, across a 26,000-acre project area in western Colorado, southeast of Grand Junction at the foot of Grand Mesa, was rushed through on the basis of a faulty process that lacked the required public input and rigorous analysis of environmental impacts.

And the impacts are immense. This industrial scale oil and gas drilling project is on public lands, in sensitive big game winter habitat, and near private residences. It will result in major greenhouse gas and hazardous air pollutant emissions, and is within the community of Grand Junction’s watershed.

We filed a request for a BLM State Director Review of the deficient approval, and are prepared to go to court to ensure a thorough analysis and hard look at the project’s impacts.

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Recognized as one of the best places in America to stargaze, the dazzling night sky of New Mexico’s sacred Chaco Canyon, designated as an International Dark Sky Park, is under threat from oil and gas drilling.

The Bureau of Land Management planned to lease 22,591 acres on neighboring Navajo lands and the Santa Fe National Forest for drilling. Not only would the constant gas-flaring disrupt celestial observations, but it would also threaten to pollute a critical groundwater aquifer that the Navajo communities rely on for drinking, farming, and ranching.

We succeeded in removing 12 of the 25 parcels from the October lease sale and will continue our fight until this special area is no longer a target of the dirty energy industry.

Victory for Night Skies! 3

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Victory! Santa Fe Nat’l Forest Safeguarded from ORV Abuse p. 3

Protecting the Endangered Ocelot p. 9

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Protecting Grand Mesa

7 WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER

Recognizing the unique value of old-growth cottonwood stands that

attract an unusual diversity of wildlife, the National Park Service bought the 20-acre “Roost” parcel in 1989 on the banks of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River in Montana’s Glacier National Park.

In the ensuing years, however, park officials seemed to have “forgotten” that the Roost was under their jurisdiction, as demonstrated by the fact that the area was open to hunting. (Hunting is banned in Glacier National Park.)

WELC stepped in to help protect this special wildlife habitat at the request of Riley McClelland, a former NPS biologist, who wrote the purchase justification for the property.

McClelland had tried for years to convince NPS of its ownership and ensure that this small but important parcel of public land was managed

under the protective umbrella of Glacier National Park.

Victory! WELC’s Freedom of Information Act litigation spurred NPS to acknowledge ownership and agree to manage this important wildlife habitat as part of the park.

Now, the Roost will be preserved as intended: as a sanctuary for black bears that forage for buds high up in the cottonwoods; for elk and deer that use the Roost as thermal cover; and for eagles and pileated woodpeckers that raise their young in the cottonwood snags.

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community recently awarded WELC a $5,000 grant, along with a beautifully carved fish from Swinomish artist Kevin Paul. The Swinomish are supporting our work to protect the state of Washington’s fish and rivers from agricultural pollution.

From left to right, WELC Board Member Phil Katzen, WELC Attorney Andrea Rodgers Harris, and Larry Wasserman, Environmental Services Director for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.

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Victory! Safeguarding the “Roost” in Glacier National Park

“I want to thank WELC for your work in spurring the National Park Service to acknowledge ownership, jurisdiction, and management responsibility for the Middle Fork Bald

Eagle Roost in Glacier National Park. The issue of ownership now seems to be resolved successfully and that small piece of special wildlife habitat is more secure.”

- Riley McClelland, Biologist WELC Client and Donor

Cottonwood stands in Montana’s Glacier National Park.

WELC RECEIVES SWINOMISH INDIAN TRIBE AWARD

8FALL 2014

Do you shop online at Amazon? You can now shop at AmazonSmile and Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to WELC! It’s easy, just go to AmazonSmile.com and select WELC as your nonprofit of choice! Thank you!

SUPPORT WELC THROUGH AMAZON SMILE

WELCome New Board Members!

KARIN SHELDON

“I am honored to join the board of Western Environmental Law Center. WELC is making a vital contribution to the future of the West by intelligent and vigorous defense of the region’s priceless lands and resources.”

Karin Sheldon is president of Four Echoes Strategies. Her work as an environmental advocate is extensive. From 2007 to 2013, she served as president of Western Resource Advocates. Prior to 2007, she was Associate Dean for the Environmental Law Program and Director of the Environmental Law Center at Vermont Law School. Before VLS, Karin was president of The Wilderness Society, a staff attorney with Earthjustice, a partner in a public-interest law firm, and one of Ralph Nader’s original “Raiders.”

PEGGY NELSON

“I have admired WELC for decades and am delighted that in turning my focus to issues involving the environment, I will serve this organization as a board member. I am proud that I can assist the good work being done.”

Peggy Nelson served as a New Mexico district judge for 18 years until her retirement in 2008. She began her career at Northern New Mexico Legal Services, where she worked for five years—the last two as executive director. For the next five years, she provided low-cost legal services at the Community Law Center, and then contracted with the state as a public defender. Peggy has vast knowledge of nonprofit organizations, having served on many boards and commissions.

We are proud to announce the addition of two conservation leaders to our Board of Directors. Joining the board are former New Mexico 8th Judicial District Judge Peggy Nelson and Karin Sheldon, president of Four Echoes Strategies, a consulting firm that provides policy analysis and strategic advice on environmental issues impacting the West. The addition of Peggy and Karin ensures that WELC will continue to ascend as an organization, and that we will be able to meet the critical environmental challenges and opportunities facing the American West.

9 WESTERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER

Training the Next Generation of Environmental Advocates

It’s so rare to see an ocelot in the wild, that when an Arizona farmer

called state wildlife officials to say his hound dog had one up in a tree, they were sure he was actually looking at a big house cat.

However, much to everyone’s (but the farmer) surprise, the responding biologist confirmed that the cat in the tree was indeed the elusive and endangered ocelot.

Before being pushed to near extinction by habitat loss and hunting, the beautiful cats ranged from southeastern Arizona to the southern Rio Grande Plain area of Texas.

In 1982, the ocelot was protected as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. Now, trapping, additional habitat loss, run-ins with motor vehicles, and capture for pet trade pose roadblocks for the animal’s recovery.

Today, roughly 50 ocelots roam the southern United States, and the cat is slowly making a comeback.

We are working to end illegal trapping and snaring in places where ocelot are

known to live in Arizona to help ensure the cat’s recovery.

Multiple ocelot sightings occurred between 2009 and 2012 in Arizona. In April, a remote camera photographed an ocelot in the Santa Rita Mountains, southeast of Tucson, Arizona.

Into this fragile recovery effort steps Wildlife Services. The program, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is responsible for the deaths of millions of wild animals each year under the auspices of wildlife damage management.

Wildlife Services uses lethal, non-discriminate techniques—including baited and scented traps, leg and foot snares, and cyanide capsule ejectors—to remove coyotes and other “troublesome” wildlife where ocelots live, putting the endangered cat at risk of death or injury.

With few ocelots in Arizona, the death or injury of just one of the

cats represents a major threat to the magnificent creature’s survival.

In violation of federal law, Wildlife Services never consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about the impact of its activities on ocelots in southern Arizona.

This fall, we notified USDA that we intend to sue unless Wildlife Services complies with the ESA and ensures that its lethal management techniques in Arizona’s occupied ocelot habitat will not harm the endangered wild cat.

Protecting the Endangered Ocelot in Arizona

A rare ocelot was photographed after being treed by a dog in the Huachuca Mountains of southern Arizona on February 8, 2011.

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BUSINESS SUPPORTER PROFILE

At TeamEstrogen.com, our goal is to help women experience the joy and freedom that come from riding a bicycle. Wilderness and open spaces are a key part of that experience and the work that WELC does in helping preserve these lands for the enjoyment of future generations is invaluable.

As a member of One Percent for the Planet, we offer our customers the opportunity to choose from a short list of organizations to support with one percent of their purchases—and the Western Environmental Law Center is one of our top recommendations!

“We are proud to support WELC in their work to protect the wild landscapes and rural communities that make bicycling

in the Pacific Northwest such an enjoyable activity.”

- Susan OtcenasPresident, TeamEstrogen.com

We love hearing from you! Send us a message via mail, email, or Facebook.

“Thank you for all you do! It is the most important work being done. If we don’t have animals and an

environment worth living in—we have nothing. You are supported and respected.”

– Jeff StewartAshland, Oregon

FROM THE MAILBAG ...

“Thank you so much for protecting wild

animals, wild places, and wild spirits.”

– Hannah Hernandez

Troy, Montana “This donation honors our 48th anniversary. We are giving to WELC instead of buying each other gifts.”

– Jim and Nancye F. BallardCorvallis, Oregon

10FALL 2014

Behind the Scenes

WELC’s Brown Reappointed As Federal Forest Advisor“I am honored to accept USDA Secretary Vilsack’s reappointment. The advisory committee is a group of dedicated and diverse members of the public, who help the Forest Service improve management of our national forests. In the coming years, I look forward to developing a Citizens’ Guide that will demystify the forest planning process, so all Americans can have a voice in caring for our treasured national forests.”

- Susan Jane BrownWELC Wildlands & Wildlife Program Director,

National Forest Management Act Planning Rule Federal Advisory Committee Member

ELIZABETH BERGFOUNDATIONS COORDINATOR

Liz joins WELC after receiving her J.D. from the University of Oregon, where she graduated Order of the Coif and earned a certificate in Environment and Natural Resources Law. During

law school, she served as a David Bowerman Fellow in the Food Resiliency/Right to Farm Project and was a board member for the Oregon Law Review. Liz works from our Northwest Office.

NATALIE DENAULT DEVELOPMENT & ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Before WELC, Natalie worked in New York, where she ran community outreach operations and performed human resource/logistics administration for the Working Families

Organization and Working Families Party. She received a B.A. from Barnard College in American Studies and Spanish & Latin American Cultures. Natalie works from our Northwest Office.

The Carnivore Way Book Reading in Helena, MontanaWe were proud to host Montana author and ecologist Dr. Cristina Eisenberg for a reading and discussion of her new book, The Carnivore Way: Coexisting with

and Conserving North America’s Predators this fall in Helena, Montana. Dr. Eisenberg led a lively conversation about large carnivores in the American West, steps taken to repopulate landscapes where they have long been missing, and ways to coexist with these amazing creatures.

For more information about Dr. Eisenberg and her book, please visit: www.cristinaeisenberg.org.

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WELCome New Staff

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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

Offices

I can’t really pinpoint the moment when I decided I wanted to be an environmental attorney. It might have been on one of my many family camping trips in northern Minnesota where we would hike along Lake Superior’s shores and challenge each other to take a dip in her freezing waters. Or, it might have been on one of my childhood outings to the wolf sanctuary where I got a first-hand look at the majestic creature whose howl I so desperately wanted to hear while camping. Or, maybe it was during the two summers I spent working in Glacier National Park, cooking for hotel guests in the morning and exploring the beautiful and immense backcountry in the afternoon.

Perhaps it wasn’t a moment, but instead the cumulative impact of a lifetime of enjoying and appreciating our natural environment. My childhood experiences instilled in me a sincere respect for our nation’s forests, free-flowing rivers, biodiversity, and, most of all, our apex predators, so much so that I have dedicated my life to fight for their protection and recovery.

Though my job is not easy, I love it because I know that my work, and that of my colleagues at WELC, is having a real and lasting impact on the West’s incredible landscapes and wildlife.

Our work ensures that these places and critters are protected from the threats that they face, while also enabling them to recover to their former glory. I am inspired on a daily basis by the work that WELC is engaged in and consider myself truly fortunate to be a part of it.

Why I do what I do... JOHN MELLGREN, ATTORNEY