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.

October 19, 2012

Lies, Damned Lies And Coal Company Biologists

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

Coal companies have been blasting mountains, dumping waste rock into streams, and undermining private and public lands for more than a century. It’s apparently lucrative to do so. But a recent filing by a coal company shows just how far they have drunk their own Kool-Aid (or coal ash?) in justifying the damage mining can …

September 13, 2012

Utah's Attack On National Parks Goes To Court

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

Appeals court will hear arguments Wednesday in state’s war on wildlands

August 17, 2012

Smokey Loves Coal, Not Forests

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

The Forest Service finally admitted it. It took the agency two environmental assessment drafts and a draft and final environmental impact statement, but they admitted it. The agency finally admitted that it would be “environmentally preferred” to protect the wildest, most pristine part of the Sunset roadless area in western Colorado from bulldozing for road …

June 15, 2012

Forest Service Reloads Assault On Colorado Roadless Area

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

Coal is dirty. It’s the dirty fuel that gives us mercury in our lakes, acid rain in our skies, carbon pollution, leaky ash ponds, and scraped-off mountains and buried streams in Appalachia. And just like the coal itself, Arch Coal’s proposed West Elk mine expansion into the Sunset Roadless Area in western Colorado will be …

April 20, 2012

Group Wins Chance to Protect Grand Canyon

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

We’re in! Judge Martone of the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona today granted our motion to intervene to defend the Department of the Interior’s decision to ban new uranium mining claims for 20 years across 1 million acres of public lands adjacent to the Grand Canyon. Today’s order – read it here …

April 13, 2012

Utah Versus the National Parks

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

State prepares assault on national icons.

March 17, 2012

Uranium Industry Attack on Grand Canyon

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

At the beginning of the last century, Ralph H. Cameron was a booster of the Grand Canyon. He wanted to promote – and cash in on – the Canyon as a tourist destination. He helped expand Bright Angel Trail, now one of the most popular trails into the Canyon from the South Rim.  But at …

February 22, 2012

The Oil Shale Funding Mirage

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

Getting energy from oil shale is a half-baked idea.  Literally. Oil shale, also known as kerogen, is a waxy pre-petroleum substance found in rock layers in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.  Unlike pools of oil in the ground, it can’t be turned into liquid fuel for transportation unless it’s baked to 700 degrees.  And no company in …

January 13, 2012

Happy New Year, Grand Canyon!

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

About a century ago, a Republican president said: In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is. I hope you will not have a building of any …

December 11, 2011

Obama Filling The West’s Stocking With Coal

By Ted Zukoski  /  Rocky Mountain Office

As fall turns to winter, President Obama has continued his virtually unbroken streak of bending over backwards for the coal industry in the West.  For those who love Western public lands and could do without more subsidies to Big Coal, Mr. Obama has been more Grinch than Santa. For example, the Forest Service recently consented …