Southern Environmental Law Center

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) is the largest 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit organization in the southeastern United States, with more than 100 attorneys and 200 staff members overall working at the local, state, and federal level. Headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, SELC has nine offices in six states: Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The organization also has an office on Capitol Hill (Washington D.C.).

The organization was founded in 1986 by former President Emeritus Rick Middleton. For 30 years Jeff Gleason took his place as Executive Director and President of the organization. As of October 3, 2022, SELC is currently under the leadership of Executive Director DJ Gerken. It is supported by charitable gifts from individuals, families, and foundations.

The purpose of SELC is to protect the physical environment of the southeastern United States through environmental law. Areas such as the Appalachian Mountains, thousands of acres of National forest (United States) in southeast United States, and the Atlantic Coast are just some of the special places the non-profit organization is trying to protect. Energy Weekly News states, granted the publication is from 2011, "The South's energy choices aren't just affecting our own backyard. If our six states region were a country, it would be the seventh largest emitter of carbon dioxide." SELC has been a very effective defender for the region winning multiple court cases and protecting the region of its air, water, land, and people. Provided by Wikipedia