MenuWestern Resource Advocates
WebsiteMission Statement
Western Resource Advocates protects the West’s land, air and water to ensure that vibrant communities exist in balance with nature.
Description
WRA has four program areas that encompass our work: Clean Energy, Healthy Rivers, Western Lands, and Air and Water Quality. Our work is throughout the intermountain West, including 7 states - Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming and Montana.
We envision...
Western rivers and lakes will have abundant clean water to support habitat for fish and wildlife, communities and agriculture, and world-class recreational opportunities. The Colorado River will flow to the sea.
Our homes, buildings and transportation systems will be powered by clean energy. The West will prosper in a zero-carbon economy.
Half of western landscapes and habitat will be protected and connected to support thriving wildlife populations and unparalleled opportunities to enjoy the West’s natural beauty.
The West will have clean air and clean water to support healthy communities and vital habitat.
Program Details
With over 50 employees throughout our region, we have quite a few highlights to report, and many ongoing projects. Here are a few highlights of our recent program successes in 2018 alone:
Working with Utilities to Plan for a Renewable Future: We successfully advocated for Xcel Energy’s Colorado Energy Plan. Xcel Energy-Colorado will retire two aging coal-fired power plants in Pueblo and replace them with $2.5 billion in renewable energy investments. By 2026, at least 55% of the energy generated by Xcel in Colorado will come from zero-emission clean energy resources.
Protecting Iconic Wilderness from Unnecessary Dams: WRA helped protect the iconic Maroon Bells in Colorado from proposed dams on Maroon and Castle creeks. WRA opposed the dams, and now is working with the city of Aspen on smart alternatives that will ensure Aspen has a sustainable supply of water for its residents.
Opposing the Reduction of National Monuments: WRA opposes the Trump Administration’s decision to shrink Utah’s Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. WRA is working with Conservation Science Partners to document the irreplaceable ecological resources at risk due to the administration’s actions. The report will be part of the legal challenge being made in federal district court in Washington.
More Forward Progress for Clean Energy in the West: WRA advocated successfully for the Arizona Corporation Commission to take the unprecedented step of both imposing a nine-month moratorium on new natural gas development by utilities – and urging those utilities to invest in a clean, modern, efficient electric grid.
Working Together to Find Better Water Management Solutions: We won a legislative battle legalizing rain barrels in Colorado. This legislative victory, two years in the making, allows residents to capture rain water for their planters and gardens, connecting them to where water comes from and how much they use, and developing a greater conservation ethic.
