The Western Watersheds Project (WWP) is an environmental nonprofit that advocates and litigates for the protection of the environment from livestock overgrazing and restores destroyed habitats on public lands in Idaho, California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming. WWP claims 1,500 members. ¹

WWP’s core areas of interest are ranching on public lands, protecting and restoring watersheds, supporting species and protecting habitats threatened by weather-dependent energy development on public lands. ²

Controversy

The Western Watersheds Project is involved along with the Wyss Foundation-supported Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), the left-of-center Resource Renewal Institute, and the left-of-center law firm Advocates for the West (which was founded by a former WWP litigator) in a U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources probe regarding transparency of and future legal impacts of a settlement agreement reached in January 2025, that will shut down multi-generational family farms in Point Reyes National Seashore by 2026. ^{3 4}

WWP is opposing Brian Nesvik’s appointment as the head of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the second Trump administration, citing concerns about his management of a case involving the death of a wolf in February 2024 in Daniel, Wyoming, while he was leading the Wyoming Fish and Wildlife Department. The man who killed the wolf was fined $250 while WWP believes the offense should have resulted in heavier penalties. ⁵

Advocacy

The Western Watershed Project website lists legal actions it has taken against federal and state agencies to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat across the western United States. ⁶

WWP won three unanimous Idaho Supreme Court decisions in 1993 that initiated competitive bidding for grazing rights on Idaho state school endowment lands. WWP now holds leases on 4,000 acres of school endowment lands. ¹

WWP won a federal court victory overturning George W. Bush administration grazing regulations that affect 160 million acres of federal lands. ¹

In February 2024, the organization joined with nine other groups including the left-wing Western Environmental Law Center, WildEarth Guardians, and Protect the Wolves, in announcing that they had filed a 60 day notice of intent to sue the United States Fish and Wildlife Service based on the Endangered Species Act to protect wolf populations in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. ⁷

Activities

The Western Watershed Project, in addition to litigation, conducts field monitoring to document herd sizes, abuses, and the degradation of streams and habitats, advocates for policy reform, and seeks the retirement of grazing permits on public lands. ⁸

Partners

The Western Watersheds Project claims the Oregon Natural Desert Association, WildEarth Guardians, and the Larch Company as partners in work to ensure that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service comply with environmental laws. ¹

People

Erik Molvar is the executive director of the Western Watershed Project. He is a former executive director of the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and led WildEarth Guardians’ Sagebrush Sea Campaign. ⁹

Allison Jones is board president of WWP, a former executive director of the Wild Utah Project, and a principal of Allison L Jones, LLC, which specializes in analyses of government wildlife and habitat management plans. ¹⁰

Jon Marvel, now retired, founded WWP (initially as the Idaho Watersheds Project) and is an architect by profession. ¹¹

1. “Our Mission.” Western Watersheds Project, February 9, 2022. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://westernwatersheds.org/about/
2. “Issues.” Western Watersheds Project, May 23, 2021. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://westernwatersheds.org/issues/.
3. Catenacci, Thomas. “Republicans Probe Secret Biden-Era Settlement with Green Groups to Shut down Family Ranches.” Washington Free Beacon, April 10, 2025. https://freebeacon.com/politics/republicans-probe-secret-biden-era-settlement-with-green-groups-to-shut-down-family-ranches/.
4. Freebeacon. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/TNC-Point-Reyes-Letter.pdf.
5. “Environmentalists Push to Block Brian Nesvik as Pick to Lead Fish & Wildlife.” Cowboy State Daily. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/03/19/environmentalists-push-to-block-brian-nesvik-as-pick-to-lead-fws/.
6. Legal efforts – western Watersheds Project. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://westernwatersheds.org/resources/newsreel/.
7. “Conservation Groups Initiate Legal Action against Feds for Failing to Protect Wolves.” Western Watersheds Project, February 9, 2024. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://westernwatersheds.org/2024/02/conservation-groups-initiate-legal-action-against-feds-for-failing-to-protect-wolves/.
8. “WWP Monitoring.” Western Watersheds Project, October 18, 2012. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://westernwatersheds.org/resources/aboutmonitors/.
9. “Erik Molvar.” Western Watersheds Project, December 16, 2021.  Accessed April 21, 2025. https://westernwatersheds.org/wwp-staff/erik-molvar/.
10. “Board of Directors.” Western Watersheds Project, April 16, 2025. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://westernwatersheds.org/board/.
11. “Jon Marvel.” Sun Valley Magazine. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://sunvalleymag.com/articles/jon-marvel/.