Chair of WORC Nancy Hartenhoff-Crooks released the following statement today supporting the ongoing protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe: “The Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) supports the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s opposition to … Continued
Election years are great opportunities for our nonprofit groups to elevate issue campaigns and get candidates to discuss their public policy platforms. Our members and supporters look to WORC and the member organizations to focus attention on important concerns and … Continued
With politics heating up, it’s time to take a dive into how political parties approach energy policy on coal and climate change in the party platforms. Here’s a quick take on the on the party platforms of the Republicans, the … Continued
On August 9, the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (“OSMRE”) published a Policy Advisory that directs state regulatory agencies to restrict the use and approval of self-bonding. The Policy Advisory outlines three policy suggestions for states to … Continued
The Congressional recess means members of Congress are in their home state to hold town hall meetings, visit fairs and rodeos, and reconnect with constituents. These events are an opportunity to let your Representative and Senators know what you care … Continued
Oil and gas reclamation bonds are intended to ensure that taxpayers are not left picking up the cost of well recovery, but bonding amounts for oil and gas reclamation are often too low to fully cover the damages caused by … Continued
New images released earlier this summer by the U.S. Geological Survey illustrate the impact of industrial development on the high plains of Wyoming. Images from the Landsat satellite taken in 1984 and 2016 reveal before-and-after views of a landscape riven by the three … Continued
Dakota Rural Action (DRA) along with the Yankton Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes, and Intertribal Council on Utility Policy filed a motion with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to reconsider its certification (approval) of the Keystone XL … Continued
A recent study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) does not have consistent policies to regulate the venting and flaring of natural gas at thousands of oil and natural gas wells. The … Continued
On July 25, Families for a Fair Wage turned in 200,000 signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State, more than double what is needed to place a minimum wage increase initiative on the November ballot. Western Colorado Congress members gathered over 1,000 of those signatures … Continued