Endangered Species

Protecting and restoring wildlife and habitat

Massive extinction episodes have taken place on Earth five times in the geologic past. Most scientists believe that the planet is now in the midst of a sixth extinction episode – only this time a single species is responsible for the demise of countless other life forms.

Lawmakers in the United States have enacted a variety of protections for biodiversity, but resource shortages and lack of political will sometimes prevent government agencies from fully enforcing these laws – or sometimes complying with the law themselves. Earthrise Law Center plays a leadership role in using the law to conserve and restore endangered species and their habitat in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Earthrise works with clients around the country to both protect imperiled species from specific threats and establish strong legal precedents that will benefit a wide variety of endangered species. Among other victories, Earthrise cases have been instrumental in conserving salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin, protecting grizzly bear habitat in Montana, and securing legal protections for bald eagles in the Arizona desert. Earthrise’s wins in court have also helped to shape the law. For example, Earthrise convinced a court to overturn agency regulations that narrowly interpreted the Endangered Species Act’s protections for “critical habitat,” thereby bolstering efforts to protect ecosystems across the country.