Advocates for the West
“Protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the American West through law.”
1 live lawsuit, 79 cents of every dollar to the work.
The origin
How they started
Advocates for the West is a nonprofit law firm that takes conservation cases other groups can’t afford. Five lawyers split off from the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies to launch it on January 1, 2003, under founder Laird Lucas, and it gives free legal muscle to grassroots groups fighting for public lands, fish, and clean water across the West. The firm reports winning or favorably settling roughly 85% of its cases, and now runs around 15 staff with a budget near 3 million dollars.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “Use law and science to restore streams and watersheds, protect public lands and wildlife, and ensure sustainable communities in Idaho and other western states.” as filed.
Where the money went, FY2024
The work, and what it cost
Provided Free Legal Representation
$1.8M, 66% of spendingAnd advice to non-profit conservation organization’s to protect public lands, waters, air and wildlife of public interest in the American west.
Including $2,500 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
PROVIDED FREE LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND ADVICE TO NON-PROFIT CONSERVATION ORGANIZATION'S TO PROTECT PUBLIC LANDS, WATERS, AIR AND WILDLIFE OF PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE AMERICAN WEST.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Public education and information dissemination on issues
$348K, 13% of spendingPublic education and information dissemination on issues relating to conservation and protection of public lands, rivers, and other enviromental matters of public interest in the American west.
Including $500 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ON ISSUES RELATING TO CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF PUBLIC LANDS, RIVERS, AND OTHER ENVIROMENTAL MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE AMERICAN WEST.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2024, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
79 cents of every dollar goes to the work
Read it as a snapshot, not a scorecard. Splits move year to year with grants and campaigns, and healthy shops live all across this range.
$2,148,251 programs, $333,112 management, $244,248 fundraising. Form 990, FY2024.
The backers
Backed on the record by 444S Foundation, latest filing FY24.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. If it’s out of date, tell us. Work at Advocates for the West? Claim this page.
Those 41 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If Advocates for the West is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Find your way inThe record
The court record
And 6 more in our case database: a selection we track, not their full docket.
Fights alongside Center for Biological Diversity (3 shared cases), Idaho Conservation League (3 shared cases), American Rivers (1 shared case), Earthjustice (1 shared case) and Earthworks (1 shared case) and 6 more. Same case, same side, on the federal docket.
The filings
15 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at or tap the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2010 | $535,217 |
| 2011 | $902,271 |
| 2012 | $582,197 |
| 2013 | $1,453,990 |
| 2014 | $681,493 |
| 2015 | $934,068 |
| 2016 | $907,438 |
| 2017 | $1,371,770 |
| 2018 | $1,550,966 |
| 2019 | $1,461,633 |
| 2020 | $1,992,883 |
| 2021 | $2,131,294 |
| 2022 | $2,193,372 |
| 2023 | $1,967,865 |
| 2024 | $3,933,848 |
From $535K in 2010 to $3.9M in FY24, with no missed filing in 15 years. FY24 is the highest year on file.
Year by year
The record, in order
- 20012001 to 2025: 9 cases filed, all since closed: Powder River Basin Resource Council v. Department of the Interior; Wild Wilderness v. John Allen and 7 more.the docket
The other 7
2014, Idaho Wool Growers Assn v. Tom Vilsack, closed; 2015, Oregon Wild v. Constance Cummins, closed; 2015, Idaho Conservation League v. Lannom, closed; 2018, Idaho Conservation League v. Poe, closed; 2001, Kootenai Tribe of ID v. Glickman, closed; 2025, Save the South Fork Salmon v. U.S. Forest Service, closed; 2024, State of Utah v. Haaland, closed.
- 2003Advocates for the West is formed.the directory; the return’s own formation year is 2002
- 2016Western Watersheds Project v. Schneider: counsel, still in court.the docket
- 2022First appears in 444S Foundation’s grants.the funder’s return
Rust, a case still in court. Green, a funder’s return. Hollow, a filing. Every row is a record we hold: 11 federal cases with the group on the docket, 1 funder whose returns name it. Nothing here is written from memory.
Their ground
The places they defend
Lead counsel for the six-group coalition suing over the Stibnite Gold Project, filing the February 2025 complaint, a May 2026 preliminary injunction motion, and a June 2026 emergency appeal to halt construction.
Who’s defending it On the ground · Threat developingSonoran Desert National MonumentRepresented Western Watersheds Project and the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter in suits over monument grazing filed in 2013 and 2021, winning the August 2023 ruling that halted BLM’s grazing authorizations.
Who’s defending it In the fight · On watchChuckwalla National MonumentCounsel to Conservation Lands Foundation in the suit seeking to overturn the monument
Who’s defending it On the ground · On watchBruneau-Jarbidge RiversRepresented Western Watersheds Project in the Jarbidge grazing litigation, winning 2004 and 2005 NEPA rulings, a 2009 injunction that grazing-as-usual must end, and a 2011 order closing 17 allotments across the 625,000-acre resource area.
Who’s defending itMost urgent first: open comment windows, then live federal cases, then the threat level. See every threatened place on one map, and who stands for each.
Across the 6 states where they work, the congressional delegations average 39 of 100 on public lands. See the full scorecard
Ways in
How to help
Straight to their own donation page. Your dollar never passes through us.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with Advocates for the West
The mission is theirs. The backing is yours.