Oil and gas development has far-reaching implications for farmers, ranchers, Native Americans, and other community members who live in its midst. Communities face increased truck traffic, elevated crime, and reduced property values, not to mention air and water pollution, lost agricultural viability, and threats to public health. Living with Oil and Gas tells the stories of impacted individuals, in their own words, from the heart of the Bakken oil fields in Montana and North Dakota to the natural gas fields and the frontline communities of Wyoming, Colorado’s Western Slope, and the rail routes of Eastern Oregon.
Living with Oil and Gas is a narrative project by the Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) and its member groups. WORC is a regional network of grassroots community organizations that include over 15,000 members and 35 local chapters across seven western states. WORC helps its member groups succeed by providing training and coordinating issue work.
Our nine community organizations are:
- Dakota Resource Council (North Dakota)
- Dakota Rural Action (South Dakota)
- Idaho Organization of Resource Councils
- North Dakota Native Vote
- Northern Plains Resource Council (Montana)
- Oregon Rural Action
- Powder River Basin Resource Council (Wyoming)
- Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action
- Western Native Voice (Montana)
Based in Billings, Montana, WORC has field offices in Montrose, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.
MISSION
WORC’s mission is to advance the vision of a democratic, sustainable, and just society through community action. WORC is committed to building sustainable environmental and economic communities that balance economic growth with the health of people and stewardship of their land, water, and air resources.