Shape Conservation Policy

Our team in Washington, D.C. advocates for wildlife on Capitol Hill, alerting legislators to key conservation issues and arming them with the information they need to demand the best solution in the House or Senate. We meet regularly with legislators and their staff to help them better understand the impacts of their decisions on wildlife and connect them with their constituents who feel strongly that their elected officials must also represent the interests of our wildlife and wild places. We also work to maximize our legislative impact by coordinating with, and seeking to leverage the resources of, other organizations with common interests.

State and local policies and legislation are as critical to wildlife as those at the federal level – sometimes even more so. Our teams across the country work with city, county and state governments to provide the same kind of vital expertise and conservation data that we do at the federal level but tailored to local wildlife and landscapes.

Defenders members and supporters also help us act as the voice for wildlife at all levels of government, bringing the issues that impact our most vulnerable species to the attention of key decision makers as concerned constituents.