News

Leadership Failure Led to Orphaned Well Crisis – Now it’s Time for Solutions May 5, 2021

Over 13,000 new jobs could be created by reclaiming current orphaned wells, but bonding requirements need to be updated to assure that taxpayers aren’t stuck with future cleanup bills. There’s no question that the past year has been difficult for Americans living across the mountain West and across the country. But the crises of public health, inequality, and unemployment are not new challenges; they’re simply the most recent evidence of systemic problems we need to address in our communities. The failure of our leaders to address these broken systems has left us with few easy decisions ahead of us.

Fighting to Transition Power on Colorado’s Western Slope April 23, 2021

Above: Colorado Rural Voters post card sent to Western Slope voters. All politics is local. No place is this more true than Colorado’s Western Slope. Colorado Rural Voters (CORV) was first established in 2008 to focus on building political power … Continued

North Dakota Legislators Try to Bail Out the Dying Coal Industry While Penalizing Wind Energy April 14, 2021

Greenwashing, corporate welfare, and bailouts are the themes of a flurry of coal bills in North Dakota’s 2021 Legislature. This story was adapted from Dakota Resource Council’s newsletter. A major theme of the 67th North Dakota Legislative Assembly was the … Continued

WORC Releases a Roadmap for Managing the Oil and Gas Industry’s Orphaned Wells and Left-behind Infrastructure April 8, 2021

New white paper recommends policies for state regulators to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for cleanup and reclamation of their sites and infrastructure. Unplugged oil and gas wells pose a significant threat to our climate, as well as … Continued

WORC Stands in Grief and Solidarity with Asian Communities March 22, 2021

Statement of the Western Organization of Resource Councils We are heartbroken and appalled by the murders of eight people, including six Asian American women, in Georgia on Tuesday. These are the latest outrages in a wave of violence and hate … Continued

Western Native Voice Community Spotlight: Renee LaPlant March 2, 2021

Stepping Up Through Volunteering We are excited to share with you Western Native Voice’s Community Spotlight, designed to highlight grassroots organizing and individuals creating change from across Indian Country. This month we would like to introduce Renee LaPlant, Blackfeet tribal member, volunteer, … Continued

Five things Vilsack must do to revive USDA as “The People’s Department” February 26, 2021

Tom Vilsack was once again confirmed as Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) by the Senate, 92-7. Vilsack served as Secretary for eight years in the Obama Administration and is likely to become the longest serving Secretary … Continued

How Good State Policy Helps Wyoming Local Foods Thrive February 18, 2021

These stories are part of WORC’s Homegrown Stories Narrative Project and come from Powder River Basin Resource Council. These two Homegrown Stories from a Wyoming producer show how good policy helped bolster a local food movement that continues to unite … Continued

Western Native Voice Community Spotlight: Silver Little Eagle February 2, 2021

Change Takes Courage. Introducing Northern Cheyenne’s Youngest Council Representative. We are excited to share with you Western Native Voice’s Community Spotlight, designed to highlight grassroots organizing and individuals creating change from across Indian Country. This month, we would like to introduce … Continued

Westerners Support Reforming Broken Leasing System for Federal Coal, Oil, and Gas January 27, 2021

A leasing pause will give time to examine and restructure the management of energy resources around climate change, protect community health and the environment, and ensure fair returns to taxpayers. On January 27, 2021, President Biden signed several executive orders, … Continued

Sign up for Alerts

Support Our Work