About NEDC

Purpose and History

NEDC was established by a group of professors, law students and attorney alumni at Lewis and Clark Law School in 1969. NEDC is an independent, non-profit organization working to protect the environment and natural resources of the Pacific Northwest. We provide legal support to individuals and grassroots organizations with environmental concerns, and engage in litigation independently or in conjunction with other environmental groups. NEDC also provides valuable hands-on experience for students seeking to enhance their education in environmental law.

NEDC Staff:

Mark Riskedahl, Executive Director
Mark has been NEDC's full-time Executive Director since 2001.

Andrew Hawley, Conservation Director
Andrew is a Lewis and Clark Law School alum, and joined the NEDC staff in October, 2008.

Bobbie Traverso/Estes, Law Clerk
Bobbie is a second-year student at Lewis and Clark Law School. She was the NEDC Law Clerk during the 2007-2008 school year.

To contact any of our staff by email, please visit our Contact Page.

Organizational Structure

NEDC is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. In addition to their dedication to the protection of the environment and natural resources of the Pacific Northwest, the members of NEDC's Board of Directors bring a wide-range of experience and knowledge to the organization. While most board members are practicing attorneys, there are always several student board members who bring unique perspectives to the Board.

The NEDC staff is comprised of an Executive Director, three Student Directors and a Law Clerk who manage the daily obligations of the organization. However, the strength of the organization is the student volunteers. NEDC students currently work as members of one or more of our project groups, including: Lands and Wildlife, Water, Air and Sustainable Agriculture. The groups are coordinated by Project Group Coordinators who are responsible for evaluating notices of proposed agency actions and requests for assistance from other environmental groups to determine whether NEDC should be involved in a given project. Project Group Coordinators then discuss potential projects with student volunteers, allocate project assignments based on student interest as well as board member priorities, and continue to work with students on projects.