Strengthening Our Legal Readiness

With strong community support, LandWatch and Advocates for the West team up to defend Central Oregon’s waters, wildlife, and public lands

At Central Oregon LandWatch, our mission is rooted in the idea that vibrant communities and healthy ecosystems are inextricably linked. That means defending clean water, thriving forests, public lands, and wildlife habitat, and encouraging sustainable growth patterns — through science and policy, and with strategic legal action when necessary.

We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership with Advocates for the West, a nonprofit, public interest environmental law firm with staff and offices in Oregon and a strong track record of using science and law to protect the American West’s public lands, water, fish, and wildlife. Thanks to the Twin Peaks Foundation and other donors, LandWatch now has additional capacity to flex legal muscle in areas of public lands defense and water allocation.

“We are excited to partner with LandWatch in strengthening their smart, strategic advocacy on behalf of Central Oregon’s natural resources,” said Laird Lucas, Executive Director of Advocates for the West. “Our team is ready to bring our proven legal expertise to assist LandWatch in addressing some of the most urgent issues facing the West — from protecting our forests to safeguarding our water.”

This partnership comes at a critical time. Central Oregon is facing an onslaught of threats — including attempts to privatize public lands, rampant water waste, and erosion of bedrock federal protections, such as the Endangered Species Act. 

With additional capacity from Advocates for the West, we’re taking our legal defense to the next level. Advocates for the West will help us defend our public lands by responding to harmful industrial proposals and navigating the rapid changes to federal laws and policies that threaten our public lands and wildlife. At the state level, Advocates for the West will help us advocate for restoring instream flows to benefit fish and wildlife and improving water management in the Deschutes River Basin. Overall, this will allow us to be better informed and more proactive to protect the natural resources important to Central Oregon communities. 

“This investment in legal capacity is an investment in the future of Central Oregon. With Advocates for the West on our team, we’re better prepared to meet the moment — and protect the places we all love,” said Ben Gordon, Executive Director of Central Oregon LandWatch.