CHRONOLOGY OF SUCCESS - 2006
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December 2006 - After two years of negotiations led by Advocates for the West,
Idaho Power Company and our client NW Energy Coalition filed an agreement with the Idaho
PUC to boost energy conservation and efficiency efforts in Idaho. The agreement is
designed to “de-couple” Idaho Power’s rates from conservation efforts, by providing it
more assurance that the costs of providing electricity will be covered even if customers
use less electricity. A related program offers financial rewards to the Company for
excellent performance in beating conservation targets.
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October 2006 - Adding to our December 2005 victory closing certain snowmobile
trails, we won a further federal court injunction barring snowmobile use in most of
Caribou Recovery Area in Selkirk Mountains of northern Idaho, to protect endangered
woodland caribou from increasing motorized recreation impacts.
After Bush Administration flouted prior order, federal court directs Fish and
Wildlife Service to issue final rule to protect Slickspot peppergrass – a rare desert
flower found only in southern Idaho – under the Endangered Species Act by January 2007.
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September 2006 - In second injunction over new BLM grazing regulations, US
District Court further bars Bush Administration from implementing regulations that
would gut ecological requirements for grazing on public lands, and give ownership of
range projects to ranchers.
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August 2006 - US District Court in Idaho issues nation-wide injunction barring
Bush Administration from implementing new BLM regulations that would eliminate public
involvement in grazing decisions on nearly 200 million acres of public lands. Livestock
industry sought the new regulations to rescind prior Clinton Administration “rangeland
reforms” that increased public involvement and set minimum ecological requirements for
public lands grazing.
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July 2006 - State district court reverses a subdivision near the Teton River due
to inadequate protection of open space. This is the second time the same court reversed
this project (procedural violations were to blame the first time).
Litigation filed in Idaho federal court challenges Bush Administration’s refusal to
protect Greater Sage Grouse under the Endangered Species Act. Results of the litigation
could have impacts on public lands management – including energy development, grazing,
and other activities – across the West.
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June 2006 - Idaho federal court issues injunction to prohibit sheep grazing on
sensitive allotment in Sawtooth National Recreation Area; and Forest Service closed or
reduced grazing on three other allotments.
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May 2006 - Settlement with US Fish and Wildlife Service requires agency to
respond to listing petition seeking to protect Sharp-tailed Grouse under Endangered
Species Act.
After winning initial court victory over innovative legal theory – that Forest
Service is wrongly authorizing grazing on Spud and Marco Creek allotments in Upper
Salmon basin, even though fences and spring developments are non-functional – we reached
settlement requiring agency to close portions of allotment, conduct monitoring, and
prepare new environmental analysis.
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April 2006 - In response to our threatened litigation, Nevada state agencies and
mining companies agree to improvements aimed at reducing mercury emissions from major
northern Nevada gold mines, which are among the largest sources of mercury pollution in
United States.
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March 2006 - Following two week trial, Dept. of Interior Administrative Law Judge
reversed BLM grazing decisions for 500,000 acres in northern Nevada grazed by Barrick
Goldstrike, for failure to study impacts on sage grouse, Lahontan cutthroat trout, and
other values. Interim settlement following this victory requires Barrick to rest the
majority of the allotment from grazing during 2006.
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February 2006 - Won precedent-setting decision holding that Forest Service must
assess “capability” of public lands to prevent grazing on steep erosive slopes from
causing long-term damage on allotments in the Sawtooth National Forest of central Idaho.
Culminating a process launched by our prior Clean Air Act litigation and settlement
against a proposed mega-dairy, Idaho Board of Environmental Quality adopted rules
setting new permitting requirements to reduce air pollution from large dairies. The
first of their kind in their nation, the rules are expected to improve air quality
protections at dozens of Idaho mega-dairies.
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January 2006 - Clean Water Act settlement commits major Idaho milk processor to
improved waste management, and nets $35,000 for wetlands and water quality improvement
projects in southern Idaho waterways. .
Notice of intent to sue letter blocks U.S. Forest Service from authorizing helicopter
landings in Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho, to dart and
collar wolves.
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