Our Work

There is nothing quite so final, so absolute, as extinction. Once the last of a species dies, that's it. There's no turning back, no adequate apology, no instant replay to see if the referee missed the call. Extinction is forever. And there are many reasons to preserve species -- medical, ethical, selfish, and moral. A planet that can’t support wildlife will someday not support humans.

Our Stories
- Win By Losing
  Some lawsuits fail in court but still accomplish their overall objective. One such case rescued the Sacramento River winter-run king salmon. Mike Sherwood, the lead attorney on the case, tells the story.
  Mike tells the story of the salmon recovery

Recent Victories
- Endangered Bird Trumps Chainsaws
  Old growth forest habitat protected -- for now
  
  Northwest Salmon Protections Saved
  Federal efforts to weaken regulations governing logging on steep, landslide-prone hillsides successfully rebuffed
  
  Timber Harvest on Native Lands in the Tongass Stopped
  A judge refused to let timber harvesting occur on Kuiu Island, a Native subsistence area of the Tongass National Forest because the U.S. Forest Service used misleading market information when issuing a permit.
  
  Judge Upholds Protection for Wild Salmon
  Developers and farm groups fail to convince judge that hatchery-bred salmon are legally identical to wild salmon.
  
  Judge Halts Oil and Gas Development in Proposed Colorado Wilderness
  Ruling protects wilderness qualities and rare plants from harmful drilling
  
  Shell-Shocked in the Arctic
  An appeals court rules that Shell Offshore, Inc., must stay away from the Beaufort Sea at least through the winter of '07/08.
  
  Politically Motivated Fish Opinion Voided
  A judge has tossed out a biological opinion where political considerations prevailed over science.
  
  Judge Rules for Wild Salmon
  A judge in Seattle rules that counting hatchery salmon when considering Endangered Species Act listings is illegal.
  
  Court Rebukes Administration for Misrepresenting Scientists
  To justify an increase in logging on steep slopes in the Northwest, the Forest Service ignored advice from leading scientists including some from the Fish and Wildlife Service.
  
  Klamath Salmon to Get Vital Water
  An attempt by irrigators to overturn minimum flows for salmon is rejected.
  
  Proposed Wilderness Area to Regain Peace and Quiet
  Palisades Wilderness Study Area protected from ten-fold increase in recreational helicopter skiing
  
  Endangered Owls Deserve Protections, Court Rules
  Permits for timber sales in the Rogue River Basin were based on "arbitrary and capricious" statements, and not scientific fact.
  
  Northern Rockies Grizzly Bears Win One in Court
  The court agrees: too many roads are bad for grizzlies & the Forest Service must do better
  
  Seasonal Wetlands Need Better Protections
  Federal judge rules that habitat plan doesn't go far enough
  
  Rare Trout Gets a Chance
  The beautiful, and gravely endangered, Colorado River cutthroat trout has a chance at survival after a judge tells the Bush administration to obey the law.
  
  Pesticide "Self-Regulation" Rule Thrown Out
  Pesticide lobby sought to ignore effects of pesticides on endangered species
  
  Federal Judge Rules Hawai'i Biopharm Permits Illegal
  A federal judge rules that the USDA issued permits illegally for the planting of genetically-engineered crops in Hawai'i
  
  Protecting Puget Sound's Resident Orcas
  Orcas get recognition by National Marine Fisheries Service, critical habitat established
  
  House Votes to Stop Subsidizing Logging in the Tongass
  Legislation seeks to protect America's largest intact temperate rainforest, sustainable economies dependent on it, and even save taxpayers money.
  
  NRC To Review Honolulu Irradiator
  Environmental and disaster review of airport irradiator project necessary, NRC licensing board agrees
  
  Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Gets a Second Look
  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been forced to reconsider its denial of Endangered Species protection for this imperiled species.
  
  Overgrazing on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
  Grazing reductions on National Monument defended
  
  Rock Creek Mine on Hold, for Now
  A hastily drawn biological opinion, issued under pressure from the former governor's office, cannot survive the light of day.
  
  Judge Finds Dam Operations Illegal
  Salmon battles enter new stage as judge tells agencies to try again
  
  Wyoming Wolf Plan Rejected by Courts
  Court ruling rejects Wyoming's deadly wolf management plan
  
  Costa Rican Courts Protect Leatherbacks from Construction
  Costa Rican courts issue injunction against construction projects in critical leatherback nesting habitat.
  
  Grizzlies and Trout Protected from Rock Creek Mine
  Court ruling rejects US Fish & Wildlife Service's approval of Rock Creek Mine.
  
  Emergency Sea Wall Construction Plan to Protect Sea Turtles
  Settlement will provide protection and monitoring for turtle nesting sites
  
  Settlement Reached on Diablo Grande Development
  Conservation easement and future habitat protection will protect vanishing species
  
  Rota Bridled White-Eye Habitat to Be Protected
  An endangered tropical bird gets a chance to recover when critical habitat is established
  
  Desert Tortoise: "Recovery," Not Just "Survival"
  A federal judge rules that conservation requires "recovery," not just "survival"
  
  False Killer Whales to be Protected From Longlining
  An Earthjustice suit forces NMFS to acknowledge the impact of longline fisheries on the Hawai`i population of false killer whales.
  
  A Fighting Chance for Wild Salmon in the Columbia & Snake Rivers
  Juvenile salmon on the Columbia and Snake rivers have a greater chance of surviving into adulthood, thanks to action by Earthjustice.
  
  Salmon Habitat in Everett, Washington, Development to be Protected
  Settlement reached in case challenging a biop allowing development in critical salmon habitat.
  
  Forest Service's Ability to Protect Endangered Fish Upheld
  Ninth Circuit denies challenge to Forest Service decision that protects endangered chinook salmon and steelhead trout.
  
  Earthjustice Defends Public's Access to Courts
  Earthjustice teamed with Alaskan Native groups and a political party to succesfully challenge a new Alaska state law that inhibited public access to courts.
  
  Channel Islands No-Fishing Zone Protected
  Earthjustice succesfully defended the largest no-fishing zone on the West Coast.
  
  Forest Service Scolded on Goshawk Plan
  Forest Service forced to reconsider its goshawk protection policies.
  
  Federal Appeals Court Rules California-Based Longline Fishery Violates Endangered Species Act
  May result in restrictions on swordfish fishery to protect endangered sea turtles
  
  Government Pulls Permit For Experimental Longline Swordfish Fishery
  Swordfishing Threatening Protected Turtles
  
  Pesticide Protection Gained for Northwest Salmon
  EPA agrees to block pesticide application adjacent to salmon streams.
  
  Court Requires Full Study of Mammoth Airport Expansion
  Judge Slams FAA for Failure to Conduct Thorough Study; A Second Case Proceeds in State Court
  
  Steller Sea Lion Litigation Brought to a Close
  Overfishing in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea must be curtailed
  
  Judge Dismisses Plum Creek Harrassment Lawsuit
  Timber company had tried to intimidate environmental groups
  
  Court Orders Interior to Act on Pacific Fisher Listing
  Imperiled species now an important step closer to federal protection
  
  Another Win for the Manatees
  Slow-Speed Zones for Boaters Upheld; Lower Court Ruling Sustained by Appellate Court
  
  Southern California Fish Gets Protected Habitat
  A dwindling population of the Santa Ana sucker will gain critical habitat
  
  Corps of Engineers May Not Dredge Lower Snake
  Court stops project to protect salmon
  
  Salmon Must Be Protected From Pesticides
  In 2002, a federal court ordered EPA to start the process of ensuring pesticides will not jeopardize the survival of threatened and endangered salmon.
  
  Appeals Court Upholds Northwest Logging Decision
  Federal government is failing to protect salmon from harmful effects of logging under the Northwest Forest Plan.
  
  Important Step Forward in Protecting Imperiled Wildlife on Guam and Rota
  On October 15, 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to designate more than 30,000 acres of critical habitat to allow for the recovery of endangered birds and bats native to Guam and Rota.
  
  Judge Orders Re-Examination Of Moss Landing Power Plant
  Environmentalists Say Process Kills Fish Larvae
  
  Development on San Bruno Mountain to Be Reassessed
  Fish and Wildlife to study impacts on natural oasis
  
  Cattle Are Banished from Horse Butte in Favor of Bison
  In a major victory for the last remnant of America's wild bison herds, a federal judge in Washington, DC, has banned cattle grazing on national forest land next to Yellowstone National Park.
  
  Unregulated Motorized Vehicle Use in the Gallatin National Forest
  Forest Service revising plans to regulate ORVs in grizzly habitat.
  
  Whipsnake Retains Critical Habitat, For Now
  Courts rule in favor of preserving, for now, more than 400,000 acres of San Francisco East Bay grasslands
  
  California's State Fish May Get Protection
  State ordered to move on ESA listing.
  
  Army Must Rein in Water Consumption at Fort Huachuca, Arizona
  San Pedro River granted a chance to recover
  
  Critical Habitat Proposed for Gulf Sturgeon
  Fish & Wildlife Service to provide protection, at last
  
  Judge Blocks Construction in Beach Mouse Habitat
  Fish and Wildlife Service failed to uphold protections
  
  The Forest and the Trees
  Logging in the Pacific northwest had just about wiped out the northern spotted owl by 1980. What followed was ten years of political mayhem.Starting after World War II, and accelerating rapidly with the administration of Ronald Reagan, the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest were being felled at a rate that would seem to make them disappear altogether within decades. Litigation to save the northern spotted owl from extinction slowed the rate of logging dramatically in the nick of time.
  
  Sierra Species Listing: Frog & Toad Victory
  Help may be on the way for two Sierra Nevada amphibians.
  
  US Military in Violation of Migratory Bird Treaty Act
  Federal Judge Faults Navy Bombing of Pacific Island
  
  Restoring Salmon Habitat on the Columbia and Snake Rivers
  In February 2001, a federal judge ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers must ensure that the lower Snake River dams comply with water quality standards.
  
  Water Diversions in the Klamath Basin
  In April 2001, Earthjustice won a major court order finding that the Bureau of Reclamation had violated the Endangered Species Act by diverting scarce water to irrigators at the expense of threatened coho salmon.
  
  Increased Protection for Endangered Florida Manatees
  In April 2001, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission agreed to establish extensive slow speed zones in endangered manatee habitat as well as 14 refuges and sanctuaries in Florida coastal waters.
  
  Win by Losing
  Some lawsuits fail in court but still accomplish their overall objective. One such case rescued the Sacramento River winter-run king salmon. Mike Sherwood, the lead attorney on the case, tells the story.

Earthjustice: Because the earth needs a good lawyer

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