Wildearth Guardians

WILDEARTH GUARDIANS WORKS TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE WILDLIFE, WILD PLACES, WILD RIVERS, AND HEALTH OF THE AMERICAN WEST.

THIS OVERVIEW IS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME OF A SMALL, BUT MIGHTY, ORGANIZATION FIGHTING TO MAKE THE AMERICAN WEST A HEALTHIER PLACE FOR PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE. OUR IMPACT THROUGH ADVOCACY, LEGAL WORK, AND MOBILIZING PUBLIC OPINION IS ANYTHING BUT SMALL. WILDEARTH GUARDIANS FOUND WAYS TO PROTECT WOLVES, GRIZZLIES, AND OTHER WILDLIFE IN 2023 BY EXPOSING THE SCHEMES OF THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS DESIGNED TO MONETIZE NATURE'S SACRIFICE AND STEAL OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE. HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2023 INCLUDE: WOLVES REINTRODUCED TO COLORADO- AFTER MISSING SINCE 1945, THE HOWL OF WOLVES COULD FINALLY BE HEARD ONCE AGAIN IN WESTERN COLORADO'S HIGH COUNTRY. TWELVE WOLVES, WHICH WERE TRANSPORTED FROM OREGON, WERE RELEASED IN COLORADO AS THE FIRST 'PAWS ON THE GROUND' OF THE STATE'S REINTRODUCTION EFFORT. THIS REINTRODUCTION IS THE RESULT OF FIVE YEARS OF GUARDIANS LEADERSHIP IN COLORADO, PUSHED THROUGH LEGAL, POLICY, AND A VICTORIOUS 2020 STATE BALLOT PROPOSITION. TRAPPING SEASON HALVED IN MONTANA- A NOVEMBER GUARDIANS VICTORY IN COURT FORCED MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS TO CUT THE 2023-2024 WINTER TRAPPING SEASON TARGETING WOLVES BY SIX WEEKS, REPRESENTING HALF THE LEGAL TRAPPING SEASON. GUARDIANS SUCCESSFULLY ARGUED FOR THIS TEMPORARY INJUNCTION BASED UPON THE THREAT TRAPPING AND SNARING REPRESENTS FOR FEDERALLY-PROTECTED GRIZZLY BEARS, WHO LOSE PAWS AND TOES IN THE EFFORT TO RELEASE THEMSELVES FROM TRAPS AND SNARES. THIS TRAPPING INJUNCTION COVERED MOST OF WESTERN MONTANA. GUARDIANS IS PRESSING TO EXTEND THIS TRAPPING BAN INTO 2024-2025. SAVED OLD GROWTH PROTECTIONS IN THE NORTHWEST- WILDEARTH GUARDIANS WON A MAJOR FEDERAL COURT VICTORY THAT PRESERVED RULES PROTECTING TREES OVER 21" IN DIAMETER ACROSS SEVEN MILLION ACRES OF SIX NATIONAL FORESTS IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON. THIS DECISION SWEPT AWAY AN ILLEGAL FOREST SERVICE RULE CHANGE MADE IN 2017 UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO THE "EASTSIDE SCREENS" RULE, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROTECT OLD GROWTH FOREST. KEPT THE SANTA FE RIVER CLEAN AND FLOWING- THE LOWER SANTA FE RIVER WILL CONTINUE TO FLOW THANKS TO AN AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN THE CITY OF SANTA FE AND WILDEARTH GUARDIANS, WHICH WILL IMPROVE HABITAT FOR WILDLIFE AND FISH THAT DEPEND ON THE RIVER. THE CITY ORIGINALLY PROPOSED THAT RECYCLED WASTEWATER BE SENT TO THE RIO GRANDE, BUT GUARDIANS NEGOTIATED TO HAVE THAT WATER IN THE SANTA FE RIVER. KEPT COAL IN THE GROUND IN UTAH- WILDEARTH GUARDIANS AND OUR PARTNERS SUCCESSFULLY OVERTURNED THE APPROVAL OF COAL MINING IN UTAH'S MANTI-LA SAL NATIONAL FOREST. THE BURNING OF THIS COAL WOULD HAVE RELEASED SIGNIFICANT POLLUTION HARMFUL TO BOTH PEOPLE AND THE CLIMATE. OVERTURNING THE APPROVAL FOR THIS MINING PROJECT ALSO HELPS SET A STANDARD FOR HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS THE FINANCIAL COST OF CLIMATE CHANGE WHEN LEASING COAL. NONE OF THESE EFFORTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED IN JUST ONE YEAR, BUT WON THROUGH AN ENDURING AND FIERCE LEFT FLANK APPROACH OVER MANY YEARS. THIS FIERCENESS IS DRIVEN BY A DEEP LOVE OF NATURE AND BELIEF IN COMMUNITY THAT ULTIMATELY DEFINES GUARDIANS. WE FIGHT SO HARD AND LONG FOR OUR WESTERN WILDLIFE, PLACES, AND COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WE LOVE THEM, AND BECAUSE WE AIM TO PRESERVE THEM FOR GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE LONG INTO THE FUTURE.