Published opinions by WildEarth Guardians

Op-Eds

Jul 19, 2019

Sustainable Missoula: Montana’s public lands are critical for climate progress

Missoula Current | By Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians: Climate and Energy Program director

Climate + Energy

#KeepItInTheGround

Mar 24, 2018

Chaco needs congressional leadership

The Santa Fe New Mexican | By John Horning, WildEarth Guardians: Executive Director

Climate + Energy, Public Lands

#KeepItInTheGround

Jan 21, 2018

Push for natural gas overlooks economic realities, opportunities

The Daily Sentinel | By Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians: Climate and Energy Program Director

Climate + Energy

#KeepItInTheGround

May 6, 2017

Crisis is opportunity for Four Corners region

The Santa Fe New Mexican | By John Horning, WildEarth Guardians: Executive Director

Climate + Energy

#KeepItInTheGround

Apr 2, 2016

Federal reforms will upend Utah’s effort to perpetuate coal

The Salt Lake Tribune | By Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians: Climate and Energy Program Director

Climate + Energy

#KeepItInTheGround

2,000-acre Colorado coal mine expansion blocked, Sunset Roadless Area saved!

Photo Credit: WildEarth Guardians

WildEarth Guardians protects and restores the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and health of the American West.

A FORCE FOR NATURE

We believe in nature’s right to exist—and thrive. Driven by passion, we’ve tackled some of the West’s most difficult and pressing conservation challenges over the past three decades. Our work is organized around four programs—Wildlife, Public Lands, Rivers and Climate +Energy—bringing people, science, and the law together in defense of the American West.

End the Taxpayer-Funded War on Wildlife

For far too long our federal government has used our hard-earned tax dollars to slaughter native wildlife on our public lands. Wildlife Services also endangers people and companion animals, exposing them to poisons, traps and snares. Tell your representatives this all-out war on wildlife and public safety must stop today. Help us End the War on Wildlife.

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Recent Stories

The Joshua Tree is Us

John Horning Nov 11, 2019

Without dramatic action to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, Joshua trees may not live into the next century.

Opinion Wildlife Climate + Energy Featured

2,000-acre coal mine expansion blocked!

Nov 8, 2019

greater sage grouse bob wick blm wildearth guardians

Nevada sage grouse habitat spared from oil auction

Nov 6, 2019

Opening Salvo Filed in Suit Over Oil and Gas Pipeline Inspections

Oct 29, 2019

Guardians Demands Burlington Northern Railway “Brakes” to Protect Grizzly Bears

Oct 28, 2019

New Mexico Governor’s Solution to Climate Crisis? Let Them Drink Frackwater

Oct 12, 2019

The Joshua Tree is Us

Nov 11, 2019

US Capitol Christmas Tree WildEarth Guardians John Brighenti

Logging injunction for spotted owl won’t steal national Christmas tree

Oct 21, 2019

Guardians Take Action

Oct 9, 2019

Permian Basin oil gasdevelopment WildEarth Guardians SkyTruth

Embrace Discomfort to Ally with Youth Climate Strikers

Sep 22, 2019

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The Santa Fe Conservation Alternative, for a truly resilient forest

Jun 15, 2019

Beckoning the Beavers

Oct 30, 2019

Grizzly Guardian

Aug 22, 2018

Postcard from the Gila

Jul 23, 2018

whitewater canyon gila wilderness tom blackwell flickr wildearth guardians

Equilibrium

Jul 16, 2018

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Guardians goes to Washington

Jul 4, 2018

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Why legislation authorizing permanent retirement of livestock grazing permits matters

Jul 23, 2018

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Why the Rio Grande’s flows matter

Jan 1, 2018

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Why the Endangered Species Act matters

Jan 1, 2018

Buy Tickets for Guardians Events!

Celebrate our 30th anniversary with us at an event this year.

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Photo Credit: WildEarth Guardians

WildEarth Guardians Press

Ruling Stops Colorado Coal Mine Expansion Threatening Climate, National Forest

Nov 8, 2019

DENVER — A federal judg…

Sustainable Missoula: Montana’s public lands are critical for climate progress

Missoula Current | Jul 19, 2019

Montana’s public lands are priceless. They’re an economic lifeblood, a source of clean water and air, home to thriving fish and wildlife, and a cornerstone of the state’s outdoor heritage. Unfortunately, the state’s public lands are under siege by a fossil fuel industry-driven “energy dominance” agenda.

BLM withdraws acreage from Nevada O&G lease sale

Kallanish Energy | Nov 8, 2019

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has pulled 332,247 acres from the Nov. 12 oil and natural gas lease sale in Nevada due to a court order blocking Trump administration plans to gut protections for the greater sage-grouse, Kallanish Energy reports.

Contact

[email protected]
505-988-9126

Eleni Ho-On

Executive Administrative Assistant

Eleni Ho-On hails from the suburbs of Chicago and thanks her lucky stars that she was able to escape city life by spending summers at her grandmother’s home on the lake in northern Michigan. Searching for Petoskey stones, swimming through the clear waters of the lake, rescuing turtles and frogs from the road and getting lost in the stars of the dark night sky fueled her appreciation and respect for nature.

Her past working experiences have included a farm to table inspired bakery, Italian vineyards and the wine making process and most recently some time at the Chicago Patagonia store in Lincoln Park where she first learned of WildEarth Guardians. Within the last few years, Eleni had spent summers in Santa Fe with her partner and was immediately drawn to the juxtaposition of the deeply forested mountains and vast desert landscapes. Never tiring of the southwestern sky, she is thrilled to be a part of Guardians’ commitment to defend the wild places she loves.

Melissa Hailey

Member, Board of Directors

Melissa Hailey is a lawyer practicing at the firm of Keating Wagner Polidori Free, P.C., in Denver, where she represents plaintiffs in civil cases involving personal injury, insurance, and environmental matters. Prior to moving into private practice, Melissa worked as a staff attorney for WildEarth Guardians from 2006 – 2010. Since then, she served for six years on the board of directors for the Southern Plains Land Trust. Melissa’s love of the West began when her family moved to Denver from Memphis, TN in 1991. She is a wildlife enthusiast and all around animal lover. In addition to her work with WildEarth Guardians, Melissa is an active member of the Colorado Women’s Bar, the Colorado Trial Lawyer’s Association, and the Animal Legal Defense Fund. She also serves as pro bono counsel for the board of directors of High Country News.

Rebecca Vitale Mandich

Member, Board of Directors

Rebecca Vitale Mandich of Palo Alto, CA and Tesuque, NM, was called early to the environmental movement to give voice to the voiceless. An advocate since the 70s, she received her degree in Environmental Studies taught by some of the big thinkers of the time such as Paul Ehrlich, Stewart Brand, Dr. Richard Leakey, Alan Chadwick, and Dr. Donald Aitken, who founded the program at SJSUC as one of first in the nation.

Utilizing that education, coupled with commitment and inspiration, Rebecca started taking actions from working in one of the first solar energy homes to working on ballot measures for better public transportation systems in the Bay Area. She assisted in opening the first Spanish-speaking office for Clinton/Gore campaign in 1992 and registered many in the local Hispanic community, hosting then candidate VP Gore to discuss the environment and community issues.

In the meantime, she married Mitch Mandich and has two grown children, Matthew and Madeleine, and various dogs and cats have graced their lives. Having traveled extensively, her favorite escape is camping in our national parks and on public monuments and lands, where she has experienced all manner of wildlife and wild places.

She became acquainted with WildEarth Guardians about six years ago when she read an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about their lawsuit against U.S. Fish and Wildlife services regarding wolves. She sent them a letter and a fast friendship formed over their mutual love of all things wild.

Rebecca sees much hope in the future of the environmental movement that began with “Save the Whales" to now promoting a food and energy paradigm for the sustainability of natural resources. A deep political will and an openness to examine new ideas dictate her thinking. She feels that embracing environmental changes through engagement, both politically and through grassroots efforts, are paramount for the evolution of a responsible species to continue the ride on, what she affectionately refers to as, Spaceship Earth.

Gay Dillingham

Member, Board of Directors

Gay has consistently juggled her passions for the environment, public policy and communication to deepen our human experience and success while on this marvelous planet.

Co-Founder, Co-CEO of Earthstone International, LLC. Earthstone is an environmental Intellectual Property (IP) company manufacturing recycled glass into an engineered "white foam glass" for surface abrasion, non-toxic cleaning technologies, agriculture products and building materials.

Dillingham owns her own production company, CNS Communications and is an award winning producer/director. Her feature documentary, “Dying to Know” is currently on Netflix.

2003-2010 Dillingham was appointed by Governor Richardson to serve on the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board. The EIB is responsible for environmental management and consumer protection for the state. She Chaired the Board for six years managing the passage of many important regulations including green house gas reduction regulations.

2001-2015 She served as part time executive director for the Livingry Foundation, focusing on sustainable development and long term progressive infrastructure.

Other charitable board service has included New Mexico Association of Grantmakers, Bioneers, New Mexico Community College, New Voice of Business, the Coalition for Quality Children's Media, and World Security Institute out of DC. Dillingham has traveled to North Korea twice: 2010 with Governor Bill Richardson as an energy advisor and in 2015 as one of 30 international women delegates www.womencrossdmz.org.

Gay grew up under the open skies and with her two sisters still owns/operates a working ranch in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The past few years Gay has been working with Wild Earth Guardians on their Greater Gila Campaign.

Contact

[email protected]
310-923-1465

Lindsay Larris

Wildlife Program Director

Lindsay Larris joined Guardians in April 2019 as the Wildlife Program Director. She strives to protect all species, great and small, in the West. Lindsay grew up in New Jersey and headed west after law school, discovering a passion for all things outdoors during 11 years in Southern California.

She received a B.A. in Political Science from NYU and a J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School. While a law student, Lindsay co-founded the Journal of Animal Law and Ethics and helped bring an animal law clinic to Penn Law. Lindsay spent seven years practicing civil litigation in the Los Angeles area, working on environmental litigation, trust and estate litigation, and international arbitration, while doing as much pro-bono work as possible. Seeking a more fulfilling career, in 2013, Lindsay quit private practice, fled to Argentina for six months, and came back committed to working in animal and environmental protection. Prior to joining Guardians, Lindsay worked for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, drafting and advancing legislation and policy initiatives to protect the interests of all animals; wild, captive and domestic.

Lindsay lives in Denver and can be found exploring new trails with her dog, Willow.

Contact

[email protected]
208-297-3285

Lindsay Biedel

Major Gifts Officer

Lindsay Biedel joined WildEarth Guardians in 2019 as our Major Gifts Officer. Lindsay grew up in Oregon but has lived all over the West including time in Montana, Washington, and Northern California before putting down roots in Boise, Idaho. Lindsay graduated from the University of Montana in Organizational Communications and has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years as a fundraising specialist.

Lindsay is excited to be raising funds for critical conservation issues in the West, something she is deeply passionate about. Lindsay volunteers with several local nonprofits and is also involved with the Idaho Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Lindsay is most at peace when outdoors hiking, skiing, biking or floating magnificent rivers in Idaho, and all over the West, with her husband and two daughters. Her strong travel addiction also takes her to other interesting locations whenever possible!

Contact

[email protected]
614-706-9374

Adam Rissien

Rewilding Advocate

Adam Rissien joined WildEarth Guardians as the ReWilding Advocate in March, 2019 where he previously worked before moving to Ohio in 2014 to be with his family. While in Ohio, Adam was with the Ohio Environmental Council fighting agricultural pollution to help stop toxic algae growing in Lake Erie, until starting his own business, Land Ethic Consulting, LLC. During this time, he served as a statehouse lobbyist for the Sierra Club to advance clean energy legislation, and he also provided technical support for a range of clients.

Before moving to Ohio, Adam spent 15 years in the Northern Rockies, where he focused on protecting and restoring national forest lands. This included working as the Policy Specialist with Wildlands CPR before the organization’s merger with WildEarth Guardians in 2013. Much of Adam’s career focused on protecting special places from off-road vehicle damage, and promoting an ecologically sustainable Forest Service transportation system. Adam earned a M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana with an environmental policy emphasis, and currently resides in Missoula, MT with his wife and son.

Contact

[email protected]
970-363-4191

Samantha Bruegger, M.P.P.

Wildlife Coexistence Campaigner

Samantha is a California native who fell in love with Colorado, relocating to the state in 2013. She possesses a BA in Women’s Studies from University of California Riverside and a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University. Samantha’s past work experience includes work in local government & business relations, public affairs and environmental policy. Previously the Executive Director of the Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce, Samantha founded their in-house nonprofit Outstanding Grand Lake Foundation, which focuses on sustainable travel and water conservation. Focusing much of her career highlighting the economic impact of conservation, she connects the need for wildlife management reform to research on ethics, efficacy and government expenditures. Samantha lives in Grand Lake with her family, where she enjoys rural living with ample access to the outdoors.

Contact

[email protected]
505-570-7014

Daniel Timmons

Staff Attorney

Daniel Timmons joined WildEarth Guardians as a staff attorney in 2019, where his work focuses on halting fossil fuel development on public lands and protecting the imperiled wild rivers of the Southwest.

Trained in both law and science, Daniel earned his Juris Doctorate from Lewis & Clark Law School, his Masters’ of Science in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Northern Arizona University, and his Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University. Prior to joining Guardians, Daniel was as an associate attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center in Charleston, South Carolina, and he previously worked in private environmental law practice in Portland, Oregon. He is licensed to practice law in Oregon, Washington, and South Carolina (inactive).

Daniel lives in Santa Fe with his wife, where he enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, and exploring the ever-inspiring American West.