Public lands belong to everyone, and Western Watersheds Project (WWP) is dedicated to saving them. WWP is a non-profit environmental conservation group working to influence and improve public lands management throughout the western U.S. to protect native species and conserve and restore the habitats they depend on. Its primary focus is on the negative impacts of livestock grazing, including harm to ecological, biological, cultural, historic, archeological, scenic resources, wilderness values, roadless areas, Wilderness Study Areas and designated Wilderness. With 1,500 members, WWP advances its mission through science-based policy, legal action, and political advocacy. Founded in 1993 and serving the Western U.S., from the Rocky Mountains to the West Coast, the organization operates field offices in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon, all united in protecting western watersheds and wildlife.
Collaborating with groups like the Oregon Natural Desert Association, WildEarth Guardians, and the Center for Biological Diversity, WWP promotes protective grazing regulations and advocates for the voluntary buy-out and closure of public land grazing leases nationwide. WWP pioneered competitive bidding for grazing leases on Idaho state lands, securing over 4,000 acres for wildlife habitat. Using the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act, WWP and long-term legal partner, Advocates for The West have challenged harmful grazing practices, removed livestock from over 800,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land, and overturned Bush-era grazing regulations. WWP also combats unscientific predator control, protecting wolves, coyotes, and bighorn sheep, while continuing efforts to safeguard large carnivores and public lands from harmful grazing. Through relentless advocacy and strategic partnerships, WWP remains steadfast in its mission to protect the West’s wild landscapes, ensuring the survival of native species and the preservation of public lands for future generations.
WWP Executive Director Erik Molvar visits Wolf Connection in June 2024, to connect with other wolf advocates on advancing wolf restoration and recovery throughout the West. Photo Source: WWP website, photo by Kimerlee Curyl Photography