Alissa got her start in Montana politics registering voters as a community organizer for Western Native Voice. She soon after became the State Field Director and Montana’s first full-time Native woman lobbyist. Alissa helped to create, pass, and implement state law that protects the culture of Montana’s Indigenous people.
Above: Roger and Pat Ashley climb a hill near their property. Like many homeowners in the area, they had no say when a fracking rig began to drill at the end of their driveway. Roger and Pat Ashley’s experience with … Continued
Above: Workers assemble a wind turbine. Clean energy jobs are just one part of transitioning coal communities. Western Colorado Alliance is organizing around the many opportunities for coal communities and Colorado’s economy to transition away from fossil fuels. In 2019, … Continued
Above: Thousands of oil and gas wells across the West are either orphaned or at risk of being orphaned with little hope of being cleaned up. An Interior Department report, expected in the next month, will likely recommend reforms that … Continued
This post was adapted from a fact sheet produced by WORC, Northern Plains Resource Council, Powder River Basin Resource Council, and a collaboration of allied organizations. As coal mines close, there’s an urgent need for regulatory action to restore lands … Continued
Above: Laurie Sun Child member of the Chippewa Cree unfurls the Tribe’s flag. Rocky Boy’s Shining Star Has Deep Rooted Connection to Elders, Community, and Culture We are excited to share with you Western Native Voice’s Community Spotlight, designed to highlight … Continued
Above: The USDA has powerful tools to help mitigate climate change and create equitable climate solutions. Earlier this year, the USDA sent out an appeal asking for suggestions on how it can better address the climate crisis. WORC members delivered. … Continued
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.
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
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