Commentary

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.

Interior Secretary Burgum is Playing with Fire

by Peter Jenkins | May 20, 2026
By all metrics, the upcoming 2026 fire season in the parched West looks like it may be one of the worst ever — with massive, dangerous forest fires. The Southeast has already seen several forest fires, with record numbers in Florida and Georgia. Fire response is more than just fighting ...

The Endangered Species Act and the Importance of Federal Action

by Tim Whitehouse | May 15, 2026
National Endangered Species Day reminds us what’s at stake. But this year, the reminder arrives with added urgency: the systems designed to protect these animals — and thousands like them — are being systematically dismantled ...

The Trump Administration’s Dangerous War on Information

by Guest Contributor | May 11, 2026
Information is a public good, which is why government has long been entrusted with its collection and dissemination. That pipeline is now badly damaged ...

Eroding Sanctuary for Wildlife in National Parks

by Jeff Ruch | May 8, 2026
During Trump’s first term, the National Park Service was an area of malign neglect, without a confirmed director for all four years. For most of Trump 1.0, the national parks were ignored, but no longer ...

Spending Time in Nature Builds Resilience: A Lesson from Rachel Carson

by Guest Contributor | April 10, 2026
Rachel Carson reminds us that our connection with our precious blue planet is mutual. Just as we take action to protect the planet, so we can draw strength and support from it ...

Ending Attacks on Offshore Wind

by Tim Whitehouse | April 9, 2026
The Trump administration is trying to kill the United States offshore wind industry behind closed doors ...