Conservation Law Foundation

In 1977, the organization successfully fought the expansion plans for a federal divided highway through Franconia Notch, in New Hampshire's White Mountains. Since that time, CLF's legal advocacy has focused on several natural resources cases, including the cleanup of Lake Champlain (by challenging state stormwater permits), the prevention of overfishing of groundfish--cod, haddock, and flounder—off the coast of New England (resulting in a settlement requiring the National Marine Fisheries Service to produce a management plan to eliminate overfishing), and the protection of the Vermont black bear habitat (by obtaining a federal court injunction halting destructive U.S. logging practices in southern Vermont's fragile Lamb Brook wilderness area, marking the first time an environmental group in the Northeast successfully challenges the U.S. Forest Service's clear-cutting policies).

In 1983, the CLF initiated a suit against the Metropolitan District Commission (a division of the government of the state of Massachusetts) and the Environmental Protection Agency. The result of this and other litigation, including that of the City of Quincy, was to compel the state to comply with federal environmental laws, and to build appropriate facilities to properly treat sewage discharged into Boston Harbor, and establish workable governmental mechanisms to finance the new facilities and pay for their continuing operations. The formation of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), taking over the water facilities properties, operations and legal authority previously held by the Metropolitan District commission, is one byproduct of the litigation. The legal battle was most intense from 1983 into the 1990s.[1]

Believing cities and towns to be as important environmental constituencies as forests and rivers, CLF advocated for increased light rail and public transportation options in Boston, New Hampshire, and Maine. In a pre-suit settlement with CLF, state highway officials in Massachusetts agreed to implement measures to reduce air pollution, including rail and transit improvements, as part of Boston’s Central Artery project (also known as the Big Dig).

Additionally, CLF advocated for state laws to protect children from the threat of lead poisoning. In 1988, following a three-year campaign by CLF, Massachusetts passed the nation’s toughest law to protect its citizens, especially children, from lead poisoning.

One of the cornerstones of CLF's modern advocacy is pushing states to invest in energy sources that have less propensity for pollution. In 1983, CLF took credit for the decision by the Public Service Company of New Hampshire, the largest electric company in the state, to abandon its plans for a second nuclear unit at Seabrook Nuclear Power Station after CLF testimony demonstrates that the construction of the facility would not make financial sense.

Later, in 2003, CLF claimed victory when the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection finalized a schedule requiring the Salem Harbor and Brayton Point coal-fired power plants to significantly reduce harmful emissions and comply with the "Filthy Five" regulations.

Recently, CLF has been lending its advocacy practices to supporting the development of a for-profit, offshore wind farm, known as Cape Wind.

Through the advocacy of CLF and other environmental organizations, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) has been instrumental in unifying many of New England's efforts to curb global warming pollution. RGGI takes effect in 2009, and is designed to reduce carbon dioxide pollution to a level 10 percent below current emissions by 2019. In particular, New England's plan will establish a market-based program that rewards smart companies for outperforming the new pollution limits and lowers overall compliance costs.

2004 – Harold Ward (professor, Brown University)

2002 – Bruce Babbitt (former Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior)

2001 – Donella Meadows (author, environmentalist)