Our Stories

The Latest by Ted Zukoski

Staff Attorney

Ted was an attorney in the Rocky Mountain regional office from 2003–2018. He protected wilderness, roadless areas and the planet's climate on behalf of conservation groups in the Four Corners' states.

The Organ Mountains range from 4,600 to just over 9,000 feet, and are so named because of the steep, needle-like spires that resemble the pipes of an organ.
May 22, 2014

New Mexico's New Monument

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

President Obama designated half-a-million acres of Chihuahuan desert ecosystem as the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.

Crescent Arch near Salt Creek in Canyonlands National Park.
May 16, 2014

Victory for Canyonlands

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has issued a decision that prevents the state of Utah and San Juan County from turning a creek in Canyonlands National Park into a highway for off-roaders.

January 14, 2014

Coal's Poison Taints West Virginia's Drinking Water

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

Did we really need another reason not to like coal as an energy source? Ready or not, we have one.

Lake Quinault and South Ridge Quinault Roadless Area, Olympic National Forest, Wash.
November 13, 2013

Roadless Rule – A Victory We Must Keep on Winning

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

A decade after the Roadless Rule’s adoption, and years into the Obama administration, we’re still fighting to protect roadless areas.

August 27, 2013

Governor Reading From Polluter’s Script

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

The oil and gas industry in Colorado has a new script to disparage efforts to move towards a clean energy future. And one of their friends—Colorado’s Gov. John Hickenlooper—appears to have gotten the memo about how to belittle those trying to limit the damaging impacts of dirty energy. Take statements made two days apart by …

June 21, 2013

Will Bold Deeds Follow Bold Words?

By Ted Zukoski  /  Northern Rockies Office

President Obama is good at bold words, and he’s delivered quite a few of them on the need for action on climate change in the last nine months. There was his speech upon being re-elected; his 2013 State of the Union (in which he promised to act unilaterally on climate change if Congress wouldn’t); and …

April 18, 2013

Pick Your Wildlife Poison

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

It’s hard to know, sometimes, who to trust with America’s wildlife. For the most part, wildlife is managed by individual states, which do some good science and issue tags for hunting licenses. They are also, theoretically, on the front lines of ensuring that wildlife species don’t get into such trouble that the federal government needs …

March 15, 2013

Rough Water Ahead for the Colorado River

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

Winter in the Rockies is almost over. Almost, because April is still one of our snowiest months in Colorado. But even with a few days of snow last week, April would have to be pretty darned wet just to get this year’s snowpack up to average. As of March 15, snowpack in the watersheds that …

February 13, 2013

What War On Coal?

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

In his State of the Union address, President Obama said some stirring things about climate change. Most dramatically, he urged Congress to take action and then said: But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. Well, if you want to act on climate change to protect future generations, Mr. President, I …

November 15, 2012

Fracking's Dirty Air Secret

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

Last week, supporters of the controversial drilling practice know as fracking held a rally in Denver. According to media reports, one booster drew laughs from the crowd when he said that fracking’s economic benefits would eventually “trickle down to attorneys [and] doctors.” Colorado doctors are probably already seeing increased business because of fracking, but not …