Good Governance

Senior Counsel

Peter has been an environmental, land use, and consumer attorney and advocate since 1983. He has held various roles in Washington, DC including Of Counsel at the Center for Food Safety; Vice President for U.S. Government Policy at Conservation International; Director of International Conservation at Defenders of Wildlife; and Staff Attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Additionally, he worked as a contracted consultant on endangered species recovery efforts with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Turner Endangered Species Fund in New Mexico. Prior to that, he served as an Attorney and Policy Analyst for the U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, and was also in private law practice. His career has centered on bringing the best science to bear in environmental protection efforts; he has specialized in working with scientists so their findings can inform good policy, as well as in federal litigation. Most of his work has been in aid of wildlife conservation in the fields of pesticides, genetically modified organisms, invasive species, wildlife disease prevention, international trade, land use conflicts, and other areas. Peter received his law degree from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law and also has a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, with a focus on conservation biology.

BLOG | The Dumpster Fire Presidency in Review

by Peter Jenkins | January 19, 2021
The Trump Administration went out of its way to violate “good government” laws and norms. Here's a list of their worst "Dirty Dozen" abuses ...

BLOG | If You Had Any Decency, You’d Resign

by Jeff Ruch | January 8, 2021
Following the Trump-inspired mob takeover of the U.S. Capitol, a growing parade of high-ranking Trump officials have resigned ...

BLOG | Wheeler Trashes Science on His Way Out the Door at EPA

by Tim Whitehouse | January 5, 2021
The new rule is an attempt to restrict EPA’s ability to rely on science when taking regulatory actions or making science-based decisions ...

Justice Department Argues Trump Lost the Election  

by PEER |
DOJ Claims Suit Against Illegal Trump Appointees Will Be Moot on January 20th ...

Statement | Ten Steps to Ensure that Proper Leaders Run the Department of the Interior

by Peter Jenkins | December 22, 2020
A guide for the Biden administration to avoid repeating the Trump administration's unlawful actions in making appointments in the Interior Department ...

From the Executive Director – 2020 Election

by Tim Whitehouse | November 4, 2020
Although these are unsettling days, poll after poll shows Americans care about issues such as the environment, climate change and clean water ...