Tick. Tock. The final days of 2024 are here. Before the clock strikes midnight on New Years and the ball drops, we are taking one last moment to reflect on the year’s successes. Join us as we celebrate our final six wins of 2024! While each is worthy of a moment of celebration, these wins also reinforce that no matter how successful we are there is still more work to do to protect, preserve and restore wildlife and habitat
1. Defenders of Wildlife helped maintain state protections for gray wolves in Washington
Gray wolves in the eastern third of Washington state are part of the Northern Rockies distinct population segment and are not protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. They are, however, protected by the state’s ESA. Earlier in the year, there was a dangerous and unscientific proposal to remove these state protections before the wolf population met the recovery benchmarks set by the state.
Thanks to Defenders and our partners’ advocacy, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission announced in July gray wolves will maintain their state endangered status and keep key protections throughout the state.
2. California Fish and Game Commission unanimously voted to provide interim state protections for western burrowing owls while a full status review is conducted
Burrowing owls are the only owl species to nest and roost underground. Several populations are under increasing pressure from habitat destruction and land use change. In California, these owls have been eliminated or are nearly wiped out as a breeding species from nearly one-third of their former range.
Defenders and partner organizations filed a petition in March seeking state endangered or threatened status for imperiled burrowing owl populations. In October, the California Fish and Game Commission found protections may be warranted for the western burrowing owl under the state’s ESA and unanimously voted to advance the species to candidate status and provide interim state protections while the agency conducts a full status review, which will take 12 to 18 months to complete.
3. The Biden administration finalized a plan to reintroduce grizzly bears to their historic range in the North Cascades Ecosystem
Grizzly bears once called the North Cascades home but today are absent from the landscape. In April, a framework for grizzly bear restoration in the North Cascade Ecosystem with the final record of decision was released. Under this Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan, a small number of bears will be translocated from a healthy source population into the North Cascades over several years until there is an established population of about 25 bears.
Grizzly bears have been listed as threatened under the ESA since 1975 and the North Cascades were identified in 1997 as having sufficient quality habitat to support a healthy population. Defenders is a member of the Friends of the North Cascades Grizzly Bear coalition and has been advocating for this reintroduction for decades.
4. The United States District Court – District of Colorado dismissed three claims seeking to delay future gray wolf reintroductions in Colorado
The Colorado Conservation Alliance filed a lawsuit seeking to halt gray wolf reintroductions that would carry out Colorado’s voter-mandated wolf restoration. Defenders moved to dismiss two of the four claims in the lawsuit, while the State moved to dismiss the three claims brought against it. In October, the U.S. District Court in Colorado dismissed the three claims affected by the two motions. This order significantly narrowed the case, leaving only one claim the Court still needs to address.
The legal victory moved us much closer to helping clear potential hurdles to another round of wolf releases this winter. Defenders looks forward to more paws on the ground this winter.
5. Defenders led an inter-organization effort to develop resources to guide map users better integrate equity into biodiversity conservation planning
Approximately one million species are at risk of extinction globally. Climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying, and historically marginalized communities are disproportionately impacted by the outcomes of these trends. Maps can help us understand where and how to act. They can also help decision makers optimize limited conservation resources where they are needed most, both for nature and people.
Defenders’ Center for Conservation Innovation led an inter-organization effort to develop resources to guide map users in integrating equity into biodiversity conservation planning. The guide was published in November.
6. Defenders hosted three regional symposiums on the biodiversity crisis
Defenders hosted a webinar series entitled ‘Drivers of the Biodiversity Crisis: America at a Crossroads’ throughout 2024. The webinars highlighted biodiversity loss in the U.S. and effective solutions for addressing the crisis. According to Defenders’ CCI’s comprehensive report, the five drivers are land- and sea-use change, climate change, pollution, invasive species and overexploitation. The first three webinars examined the biodiversity crisis in Florida, California and Rhode Island.
Florida faces severe biodiversity threats from all five drivers. California is home to some of the most biodiverse areas in the contiguous U.S. and faces threats from habitat loss and degradation and invasive species. Rhode Island ranks highly nationwide for threats from invasive species.
While these three states are a great starting point, we all can do more to mitigate these threats and help secure a future for wildlife. In fact, there’s more Defenders is looking to do in 2025 related to all our 24 wins and beyond! We hope you will come back in 2025 to learn what our 25 wishes and goals are for next year and join us in our continuous fight to protect wildlife.
Until then, we wish you a happy new year!
Missed any of our 24 Wins for 2024? Read part 1 here, part 2 here and part 3 here.
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