WildEarth Guardians

From butterflies to bears, WildEarth Guardians racked up major wins for the wild in 2024! Check out our top 10 list and get inspired on what we’ll accomplish together next. https://lnkd.in/gG9TAxBX

WildEarth Guardians' ReWilding Manager Adam Rissien writes in The Missoulian that the future of the West's grizzlies depends on our collective commitment to coexistence, wildlife preservation, and science. Thank you, Adam, for working to ensure these beloved and rare wildlife thrive for generations to come. #KeepGrizzliesProtected https://lnkd.in/gqR7kGnH

As we close out 2024 and honor the incredible victories we won this year, know we are gearing up to earn more durable wins for the West’s people, places, and wildlife in the years to come! One of our flagship victories of 2024 was many years in the making. This fall, Guardians reached an agreement with two federal agencies and a large irrigation district that will help keep the Rio Grande flowing through New Mexico. The agreement sends the agencies back to the drawing board to develop new conservation measures to better protect the imperiled Rio Grande ecosystem, including endangered species such as the Rio Grande silvery minnow and imperiled species including the Southwestern willow flycatcher and Western yellow-billed cuckoo. #LivingRio #AForceForNature Read more about our 2024 victories here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gG9TAxBX

Today marks one year since wolves were reintroduced to Colorado after nearly a century. Colorado was first robbed of its wild wolves 80 years ago, after commercial livestock owners created bounties to kill off the native animals through trapping, poisoning, and shooting. “The reintroduction of wolves to Colorado righted a historical wrong done to Coloradans and our outdoors,” said Lindsay Larris, Conservation Director for WildEarth Guardians. #WolvesBelong https://lnkd.in/ggiNCNir

Today, we joined 15 national, regional and state environmental, tribal, and animal welfare groups in petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to adopt a new approach to recovering grizzly bears in the U.S. Northern Rockies, pointing to a new science-based report by Dr. Christopher Servheen, the former USFWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator. The petition and recovery plan updates come during a record-breaking deadly year for grizzlies. Now is the time for a new, science-based recovery plan that will connect isolated populations and support people coexisting with grizzlies. Read more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gdh6ccA5 #KeepGrizzliesProtected

In recent article in Sierra Magazine, retired Deputy Chief of the U.S. Forest Service and Guardians' Board Member Jim Furnish urges the agency to spare rare mature and old-growth forests from the saw. Unfortunately, when it comes to protecting wilderness, wild and scenic rivers, roadless areas, and old-growth forests, the US Forest Service has proved a begrudging landlord, preferring logging to prioritizing our forest’s natural values. Read more from Jim Furnish on how to ensure more robust and diverse future for our national forests here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gSsXRCUn

And another legal victory! Today, we landed a big win for wolves and grizzly bears in Montana in a settlement with the State of Montana that that comes after the state limited wolf trapping in grizzly bear habitat, we've made sure that Montana grizzly bears will face one less threat this winter. Read more about the case and our relentless work to protect wildlife in the Northern Rockies. https://lnkd.in/gdXGC4S3

Beavers are nature’s original problem solvers. This October, WildEarth Guardians’ Hop Hopkins (Executive Director), Lindsay Larris (Conservation Director), Christopher Smith (Wildlife Program Director), and Joanna Zhang (Endangered Species Advocate) attended BeaverCON 2024 in Boulder, Colorado, joining scientists, conservationists, and community leaders to learn how these ecosystem engineers are tackling some of today’s biggest challenges—drought, wildfire, and more. Read about what we learned, our favorite sessions, and why we’re proudly #BeaverBelievers: https://lnkd.in/gu4AjHJY #BeaverCON #WildlifeConservation #EcologicalRestoration #NatureBasedSolutions

Legal victory! Today, WildEarth Guardians, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District filed a settlement agreement in federal court resolving a lawsuit brought by WildEarth Guardians in 2022. Today's settlement agreement offers a hopeful path towards meaningful protections for a living Rio Grande and the imperiled species and the precious aquatic and riparian habitat supported by this critical artery of life. Congratulations to the staff and attorneys behind this significant win for nature - Wild Rivers Program Director Daniel Timmons, Legal Director Samantha Ruscavage-Barz, and Staff Attorney Tim Davis. Read more in our #PressRelease. https://lnkd.in/gjuihZP9

In a recent op-ed for The Santa Fe New Mexican, Rebecca Sobel, Organizing Director at WildEarth Guardians, highlights why the use of PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in oil and gas operations in New Mexico must be disclosed to the public. Read Rebecca’s op-ed and learn how we’re working to ensure New Mexicans are protected from harmful chemicals. https://lnkd.in/g3vfmhTq #PFAS #NewMexico #KeepItInTheGround