WildEarth Guardians
| WildEarth Guardians | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) |
| Year founded: | 1989 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Budget | |
| 2014: | $4,154,036 (total expenses) |
WildEarth Guardians is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that focuses on environmental policy and endangered species policy. Its four main focuses include wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and climate and energy. Its mission is as follows: "WildEarth Guardians protects and restores the wildlife, wild places, wild rivers, and the health of the American West."[1][2]
History
WildEarth Guardians was founded as Forest Guardians in 1989. The group was established to oppose a logging project in northern New Mexico. The organization's endangered species program began in 2001. In 2007, the organization began its climate and energy program. The group merged with the Colorado-based nonprofit group Sinapu and became WildEarth Guardians in 2008. In 2013, WildEarth Guardians merged with Wildlands CPR, a Montana-based nonprofit group that focused on conservation of watersheds, and with the Utah Environmental Coalition.[3]
Issues
Endangered species
WildEarth Guardians is active in influencing endangered species policy through the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which the group has called "one of the best tools for fighting species loss." The organization petitions the federal government to list animal and plant species as endangered or threatened under the ESA. If a species is listed as endangered or threatened, the species receives federal protection from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If the Fish and Wildlife Service does not respond to a listing petition within a statutory deadline, the petitioner may sue the federal government for a response to the petition. In 2011, WildEarth Guardians and the Center for Biological Diversity entered into a settlement agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service, which was required to make listing decisions for over 251 candidates for federal protection under the ESA. The settlement effectively set the Fish and Wildlife Service's listing agenda between 2011 and 2016. It also limited the amount of litigation brought by WildEarth Guardians and the Center for Biological Diversity.[4][5][6]
Climate and energy
WildEarth Guardians' climate and energy program supports a goal of generating 100 percent of U.S. energy from renewable sources by 2035. The program focuses on opposing fracking on federal land, opposing coal mining, and supporting renewable energy development. Its litigation has focused on "filing lawsuits to hold states and the federal government accountable to protecting the environment, enforcing federal laws directly against polluters, and in filing 'friend of the court' briefs to ensure courts take note of our [WildEarth Guardians'] views." The group has opposed the construction of coal-fired power plants in the western United States and has supported retiring existing coal power plants. The organization has also challenged coal leasing and mining in Wyoming.[7][8][9][10]
Leadership
The table below lists WildEarth Guardians' board of directors as of December 2015.[11]
| WildEarth Guardians board of directors, December 2015 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Position |
| Robin Smith | President |
| Mimsi Milton | Vice President |
| Todd Ringler | Secretary |
| Cathy Bailey | Member |
| Nat Cobb | Member |
| Debbie Lewis | Member |
| Kristina Martinez | Member |
| Dyan Oldenburg | Member |
| Peter Schoenburg | Member |
| Jon Spar | Member |
| Bill Syme | Member |
| David Will | Member |
| Esther Yazzie-Lewis | Member |
Finances
The table below shows WildEarth Guardians' total income in 2014.[12]
| WildEarth Guardians total income, 2014 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of income | 2014 income | |
| Grants | $1,294,338 | |
| Membership and major gifts | $1,254,074 | |
| Government grants | $523,038 | |
| In kind | $219,592 | |
| Events | $151,263 | |
| Legal | $134,855 | |
| Other | $37,029 | |
| Total | $3,614,189 | |
The table below shows WildEarth Guardians' total expenses in 2014.[12]
| WildEarth Guardians total expenses, 2014 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type of expense | 2014 expense | |
| Conservation programs | $3,241,655 | |
| Fundraising | $333,211 | |
| Administration | $234,485 | |
| Education | $231,919 | |
| Events and outreach | $122,766 | |
| Total | $4,154,036 | |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms WildEarth Guardians. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ WildEarth Guardians, "About Us," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ WildEarth Guardians, "Values and Visions," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ WildEarth Guardians, "History," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ WildEarth Guardians, "Endangered Species Protection," accessed September 21, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, "WildEarth Guardians v. Salazar," May 10, 2011
- ↑ Washington Post, "Interior Dept. strikes deal to clear backlog on endangered species listings," accessed May 10, 2011
- ↑ WildEarth Guardians, "Climate and Energy," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ WildEarth Guardians, "Our Tactics," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ WildEarth Guardians, "A Frack-Free American West," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ WildEarth Guardians, "Keep it in the Ground," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ WildEarth Guardians, "Board of Directors," accessed December 28, 2015
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 WildEarth Guardians, "WildEarth Guardians Annual Report 2014," accessed December 28, 2015
