Eco-lawsuits undermining West’s economy, new study says

Jun 8, 2012

Valerie Richardson / The Colorado Observer

Wherever WildEarth Guardians goes, the economy suffers, according to a newly released report.

The study, “Economic Impact of WildEarth Guardians Litigation on Local Communities,” found that household income drops by an average of $2,503 in communities where the non-profit group WildEarth Guardians is active in litigating environmental issues.

The study was conducted by two Utah professors and commissioned by Americans for Prosperity-Colorado, which frequently tangles with the environmental movement over the economic impact of its advocacy.

“The argument often made by the environmental community is that increased intervention by environmental groups, through litigation and other activities, does not negatively impact local communities; this argument, however, is not supported by the data,” said the 47-page report.

“When comparing counties where WildEarth Guardians has intervened to those without intervention, we find that those counties having had intervention are worse off than the non-intervention counties,” the report states.

Jeff Crank, AFP-Colorado state director, said the study represented the first academic research to measure the economic impact of litigation brought by professional environmental activists.

“This is the first time anyone has attempted to hold them (WildEarth Guardians) accountable for the real economic and human harm they do,” said Crank. “That’s something those who support these groups and their extreme agendas need to understand.”

This isn’t the first time AFP-Colorado has put WildEarth Guardians under a microscope. The free-market advocacy group released a report in January, “Monkey-Wrenching the Courts,” that examines how WildEarth Guardians uses “saturation litigation” to accomplish its goals and, at the same time, earns taxpayer-financed legal fees for its lawsuits under the federal Equal Access to Justice Act. …read full story by The Colorado Observer

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Tags: Americans for Prosperity Colorado, Equal Access to Justice Act, Jeff Crank, Monkey-Wrenching the Courts, WildEarth Guardians