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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.

COMMENTARY | The Supreme Court Must Stop the Slide to Authoritarian Rule

by Peter Jenkins | October 7, 2025
The Supreme Court, whose 2025-2026 Term began on October 6, has set the stage for a descent to authoritarian rule in a series of quick rulings that favored President Trump over the last nine months ...

COMMENTARY | Trump Administration Descends on Dissenters; They’re Still Speaking Out

by Kaylee Rodriguez | September 18, 2025
A recent series of dissent letters signed by federal government employees documents the devastation this administration is inflicting on public health, safety, and the environment ...

COMMENTARY | Trump’s Challenge to the Climate Endangerment Finding: Another Tragic Farce

by Laurie Williams | September 16, 2025
Trump is grabbing the bull by the horns and proposing to rescind the Endangerment Finding altogether. His plan for doing so is both rash and outlandish ...

COMMENTARY | Growing Resistance to Trump’s Cuts Indicates Budget Battle Ahead

by Kaylee Rodriguez | August 28, 2025
If the Interior and Environment Appropriations bills move to the floor, we can expect a showdown between “skinny budget” loyalists and other members of Congress who are increasingly pushing back against the broad slashing of funds ...

COMMENTARY | Redefining the US Forest Service Mission

by Guest Contributor | August 27, 2025
An anonymous US Forest Service employee shares their concerns about the recent direction for implementing EO 14225 “Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production ...

COMMENTARY | Dumbing Down America’s Best Idea: National Parks in Free Fall

by Jeff Ruch | August 16, 2025
Even as the National Park Service sets new all-time visitation records, no one could claim our national parks are basking in a golden age ...