Michael T. Leahy

Areas of Expertise: Rocky Mountain region; law and policy pertaining to wildlife, forests, national forests, other federal lands, and other natural resources. 

Mike oversees Defenders' work throughout the Rocky Mountain Region, which emphasizes recovery of wolves, grizzly bears, wolverine, lynx, fisher, black-footed ferrets, prairie dogs, grassland ecosystems. Personal work priorities include recovery of ungulate populations such as woodland caribou and bison. Mike was a staff attorney for Defenders from 2000 - 2007 and focused on litigation, laws, and policy related to the management of national forests, other public lands, endangered species including woodland caribou and lynx, and the Great Lakes ecoregion. As part of his forest conservation work Mike was a board member of the Forest Stewardship Council U.S. which certifies wood from well-managed forests, and environmental advisor to the Dept. of Commerce’s Industry Trade Advisory Committee for Forest Products.

Prior to coming to Defenders in May, 2000, Mike ran the National Audubon Society’s Forest Campaign, serving as lobbyist, policy analyst, and advocacy organizer on forest issues. Mike has a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University, with a focus in resource policy and planning and a minor in Business, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. He really likes bread.