Western Mining Action Network (WMAN) is a project of Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project (WORCEP) that connects local organizations engaged in replacing reliable fossil fuels with weather-dependent energy, controlling hard rock mining, and demanding equal environmental outcomes for Black, indigenous and people of color. ¹

Organization

Western Mining Action Network (WMAN) connects over 400 activist individuals and locally based environmental organizations in the United States and Canada. It generates support for the transition from conventional fuels to weather-dependent wind and solar power, for control of hard rock mining, and for protection of cultural resources. The organization seeks environmental equal outcomes for Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) via local groups. ¹

Western Mining Action Network (WMAN) is a project of and fiscally sponsored by Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project (WORCEP). WORCEP is a left leaning nonprofit network of ten members with 38 local chapters that serves as the source of research, education, leadership development, and fundraising for sister organization Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC). WORCEP is funded by the Tides Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, among others. ^{2 3 4 5}

WMAN partners with Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), a group that calls reliable, carbon free nuclear energy “dirty,” to administer the “Grassroots Communities Mining Mini-Grant Program” to distribute $200,000 annually in small grants to support organizations that claim to protect the environment and community health from mining impacts. ^{6 7}

Activities

Western Mining Action Network forms caucuses of members based on interests, issues, and geography. Great Lakes Caucus is composed of United States and Canadian groups surrounding the Great Lakes that champion freshwater protection from mining contamination. Indigenous Caucus advances the idea that water should be recognized as a spiritual entity and advances implementation of indigenous natural water laws and standards. Southwest United States Caucus meets biennially while members also participate in other caucuses. The Uranium Caucus consists of network members in the United States and Canada that expose projected environmental, health and safety risks of uranium mining and milling. ⁸

WMAN held their biennial conference in Montreal, Quebec, Canada under the banner “Mining Justice in the Climate Crisis.” ⁹

Western Mining Action Network’s website contains the “Environmental Justice Atlas” showing the location of what it terms damaging projects and extractive activities that have what is claimed to be heavy environmental and social impacts. Dams, mining, fracking, and tree plantations are among the locations identified. The atlas is produced by Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) and supported by the ENVJUST, and Academic-Activist Co-Production of Knowledge for Environmental Justice funded by Transformations to Sustainability Programme. ¹⁰

Advocacy

Western Mining Action Network published on their website a statement titled “Land Acknowledgement and Support for Indigenous Peoples” that states the group’s support for indigenous sovereignty and self-determination based on historical and continuing impacts of colonization on indigenous communities and Mother Earth. The statement declares that “Indigenous Peoples are the rightful owners of their lands and territories to which they have an unbroken and unbreakable relationship.” ¹¹

People

Laura Pitkanen is Western Mining Action Network network coordinator and works with the IEN-WMAN mini-grant program, fundraising, and the steering committee. Kerri Nelson Wolenetz is fiscal agent of WMAN and part of Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project (WORCEP). ^{12 13}

1. “About Western Mining Action Network.” About Western Mining Action Network. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.miningactionnetwork.org/about-western-mining-action-network
2. “WORC Education Project.” WORC. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.worc.org/ep/.
3. “Tides Foundation”. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. Form 990 Schedule I, Part II, Line (a)2403.
4. “Grants Database.” Mott Foundation, August 7, 2023. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.mott.org/grants/?query=Western%2BOrganization%2Bof%2BResource%2BCouncils.
5. “Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project – for Support of the Energy Education Program.” Hewlett Foundation, December 3, 2024. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://hewlett.org/grants/western-organization-of-resource-councils-education-project-for-support-of-the-energy-education-program/.
6. “Ien-WMAN Mining Mini-Grant Program.” IEN-WMAN Mining Mini-Grant Program. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.miningactionnetwork.org/mini-grant-program.
7. “Ien Wman Mini Grant: Indigenous Environmental Network.” Indigenous Environmental Network | Respecting and Adhering to Indigenous Knowledge and Natural Law, January 22, 2024. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.ienearth.org/ien-wman-mini-grant/.
8. “Caucuses: WMAN.” Caucuses | WMAN. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.miningactionnetwork.org/caucuses.
9. “WMAN Events.” WMAN Site. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.miningactionnetwork.org/event/2024-wman-biennial-conference.
10. “Mining Map: WMAN.” Mining Map | WMAN. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.miningactionnetwork.org/map.
11. “Land Acknowledgement: WMAN.” Land Acknowledgement | WMAN. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.miningactionnetwork.org/acknowledgement.
12. “Meet the WMAN Staff.” Meet the WMAN Staff. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.miningactionnetwork.org/staff.
13. “Steering Committee.” WMAN. Accessed February 9, 2025. https://www.miningactionnetwork.org/steering-committee.