Wildwest Institute

In April 2006 the Native Forest Network and Ecology Center merged to form the WildWest Institute. We currrently have three main programs. Our Ecosystem Defense Program is a leader in developing strategies to ensure that the U.S. Government follows the law when managing our public forests and wildlands. In fact, many of the most significant, precedent-setting legal victories protecting old-growth forests, roadless wildlands, clean water and wildlife habitat have been the result of our work. With the assistance of WildWest's biologist and forest ecologist, we stay abreast of, and seek out, the latest scientific research relating to land management and we also strive to get on the ground and monitor all project areas to gather site-specific information. Our Watershed and Wildland Fire Restoration Program gets our organization and volunteers involved with on-the-ground watershed restoration projects and community fuel reduction projects in the Northern Rockies. At WildWest we believe the sooner that we can help move ecologically beneficial restoration and community fuel reduction work on National Forests forward, the better off our forests, wildlife, watersheds and communities will be. Our goal is work together with diverse interests to help be a catalyst for the establishment of a new, sustainable restoration economy in our region. Our Roadless Rockies Program is committed to protecting all roadless wildlands in the Northern Rockies. Unlike other parts of the country, the Northern Rockies is blessed with some of the best remaining pristine roadless wildlands and old-growth forests in the nation. Like most Americans, we believe it would be shortsighted and irresponsible to open these ecologically important areas to more logging, roadbuilding, drilling and development.