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| Dear Friend, |
| In my nearly 15 years as an Earthjustice attorney, I’ve never seen a greater threat to our environmental laws — and our public lands — than I’m seeing right now. |
| The second Trump administration is more systematic than the first, and even more extreme. Rather than one-off attacks, it is pursuing comprehensive removal of public land protections and environmental safeguards, just as Project 2025 prescribed. |
- It’s trying to peel back key provisions of the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act.
- It’s targeting critical protections like the Roadless Rule and the endangerment finding.
- And it’s backed by a radically activist Supreme Court, which is tearing up precedent and weakening the National Environmental Policy Act.
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| Given the magnitude of these fights, I’m often asked if I’m concerned or if I feel pressure. Of course I do. The fate of centuries-old forests rests on our legal briefs. |
| But there’s nowhere I would rather be than Earthjustice. We’re built for these fights. As far as I know, we’re the strongest team of environmental lawyers ever assembled. We have an incredible track record of success. And most importantly, we have backup. |
| In every case, we represent clients and partners who bring expertise and passion to these fights. And in every case, we represent them free of charge thanks to donors like you. |
| In the year ahead, we will be fighting to defend our environmental laws and the wild places they protect. Anything you give before December 31 will help us hire more attorneys, file more lawsuits, and build a sustainable future for all of us. |
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| From the towering redwoods of California to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, our public lands and waters are protected by a web of powerful laws. |
| Let’s use the national forests of the Pacific Northwest as an example: |
- The Roadless Rule protects undeveloped forestlands in designated roadless areas across the region, including old-growth stands.
- Since these forests provide habitat to endangered species, logging could be restricted on Endangered Species Act grounds as well.
- And on all of our public lands, any government decision to allow drilling, logging, mining, or other environmentally damaging extraction is subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act.
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| We have all of these overlapping protections for a simple reason: We live in a democracy, and our representatives enacted extremely popular laws that protect public lands, public waters, and endangered species. |
| The Trump administration knows that, and they’re not trying to repeal these laws outright. Instead, they’re attempting to gut them from the inside out and weaken their implementation to the point of uselessness. |
| That’s where Earthjustice comes in. When the administration issues new regulations to hobble our environmental laws, we take them to court. That’s a promise. |
| And, it’s a promise I know we can keep because of the generosity of our donors. I’m continually blown away by your steadfast support, and I am so grateful for it. Please consider making a year-end donation to Earthjustice, and it will be matched $2:$1 to triple your impact. |
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| If you can’t donate this season, we understand. Please keep your eyes out for action alerts and other ways to be involved in January. |
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In Partnership,
Drew Caputo
Vice President of Litigation
Lands, Ocean, and Wildlife Team
Earthjustice |
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