Andrew joined Advocates for the West in September 2019 after three years at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. During his time at the Ninth Circuit, Andrew clerked for the Honorable Susan P. Graber and worked as a Staff Attorney. Before coming to the Ninth Circuit, Andrew clerked for the Honorable Mark E. Walker of...| Advocates for the West
A federal judge in Oregon confirmed the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) legal duty to consider preventative measures—rather than a “spray first, ask questions later” approach—in its program allowing insecticide spraying to kill native grasshoppers and crickets on millions of acres in 17 western states. The Court’s rulings also require APHIS to be...| Advocates for the West
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...| Advocates for the West
Laurie is a 2001 graduate of Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, with a certificate in environmental and natural resource law. During 2001-2002, she served as law clerk to the Hon. Thomas Nelson, US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. During 1992-1998, Laurie worked as a fish and wildlife biologist with...| Advocates for the West
Houston-based company NEXT Renewable Fuels wants to build a non-conventional diesel refinery in the Columbia River Estuary near Clatskanie, Oregon. The second largest of its kind in the nation, the NEXT refinery’s energy-intensive process to create alternative fuels would consume as much fracked gas as the City of Eugene, and is permitted to emit 1... The post Voices for the West: What’s NEXT? Oregon’s Massively ‘False’ Climate Solution appeared first on Advocates for the West.| Advocates for the West
The Trump administration has quietly rendered “inactive” a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) policy directive to prioritize environmental monitoring and analysis of livestock grazing on public lands in sensitive habitats. The rescinded policy—Instruction Memorandum 2025-004—directed BLM field offices to complete long overdue National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews on grazing allotments within areas critical to...| Advocates for the West
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the “One Bill Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBA), ushering in sweeping spending cuts on social services to pay for huge tax cuts for billionaires and investments in border “security.” The bill guts clean energy tax credits, vehicle fuel efficiency standards, environmental protections, and pollution-reduction programs. Its rollbacks... The post A Big, Ugly Boost for the Oil and Gas Industry appeared first on Advocates for the West.| Advocates for the West
Today, Advocates for the West filed suit in Idaho state court representing the Idaho Conservation League (ICL) and Save the South Fork Salmon against the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for failing to protect public health in issuing an air quality permit to Perpetua Resources for the proposed Stibnite Gold Mine, an open-pit cyanide...| Advocates for the West
providing free legal services to conservation groups and concerned citizens to protect and preserve our open spaces and natural treasures – now, and into the future. Together, we win for the West.| Advocates for the West
Advocates for the West has a long track record of assisting our partners in sustaining healthy human, plant, and animal communities by increasing the legal capacity of conservation organizations and Tribes. We’re thrilled to further that commitment through a new partnership with Central Oregon LandWatch, whose mission is rooted in the idea that vibrant communities...| Advocates for the West
July 11, 2016 — Advocates for the West secured a federal court victory for the second time in our ongoing battle to keep Canadian mining company “American CuMo” from developing in the Boise River watershed what it claims could be the largest open pit molybdenum mine in the world. This time it was a rare...| Advocates for the West
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...| Advocates for the West
Advocates for the West and our partners filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service for its approval of a mine exploration project on public lands in the headwaters of the Boise River. The CuMo Mine Exploration Project threatens critical clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, and the rare plant Sacajawea’s bitterroot. Despite overwhelming public opposition,...| Advocates for the West
As Congress continues to consider the “Big, Beautiful” reconciliation legislation, Advocates for the West has joined conservation allies nationwide in signing a unified position paper opposing any potential provisions within the bill to transfer or sell public lands. While western legislators in the House of Representatives successfully removed such provisions from the House version of... The post ADVOCATES FOR THE WEST STANDS WITH CONSERVATION PARTNERS IN OPPOSING PUBLIC LAND SELL OFF PR...| Advocates for the West
Get the latest on the work we’re doing to protect the West’s public lands, water, fish, and wildlife! Read the latest edition of our Case Notes newsletter here.| Advocates for the West
Advocates for the West filed suit against the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on behalf of Columbia Riverkeeper, the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, and two local residents for issuing a water quality permit for the proposed NEXT refinery located adjacent to the Columbia River Estuary near Clatskanie, OR. “At a time when the federal... The post Local Residents and River Advocates Sue Oregon over Water Quality Permit for NEXT Refinery appeared first on Advocates for ...| Advocates for the West
By Leonardo Aleksander Ryan The Columbia River Basin is easily one of the most integral parts of the Pacific Northwest because of the cultural and historical significance it holds. In a recent press release, the Nez Perce Tribe heralded a new federal analysis of Columbia River dams’ impacts on Tribes of the area as reinforcing...| Advocates for the West
