For Immediate Release

Wildlife should breathe a bit easier now that the American people have voted to dethrone House leaders relentlessly hostile to their interests. We anticipate the new House Democratic leadership will be good news for wildlife. We expect the new House leaders to vigorously oppose the Trump administration’s relentless assaults against wildlife, habitat and community health and safety, and to stand up to Senate leaders who have pursued an anti-wildlife agenda.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, CEO and President, Defenders of Wildlife issued this statement:

“Today’s news brings hope for wildlife and our air, water, lands and climate. We will be working with our champions in Congress to defend and strengthen these vital resources while restoring recently lost protections. Sadly, a lot of damage has been done over the past two years by the Trump administration and the departing Congress. These relentless destructive attacks on the laws, regulations, policies and agencies responsible for protecting wildlife and wild places have taken a toll and recovery will take time.

Defenders of Wildlife will redouble our efforts to hold the Trump administration accountable to conserve America’s irreplaceable natural legacy, not destroy it.”

 

For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.  

 

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A close up of the face of a Sierra Nevada Red Fox at the edge of a forest in Deschutes County, Oregon.
Washington, D.C.

Court Rules Habitat Must Be Protected After FWS Attempts to Waive Protections for Less Than 40 Sierra Nevada Red Fox

Defenders of Wildlife earned a significant victory for the Endangered Species Act today when a federal district court found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to not designate critical habitat for the endangered Sierra Nevada red fox was a violation of the law.
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Three sea otters float in the water. There are hills or mountains in the distance in the background.

Construction on Gateway to Road through Izembek Continues

The Ninth Circuit today denied Defenders of Wildlife’s emergency motion to halt construction on King Cove Corp.’s 2.8-mile road segment leading to the doorstep of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Defenders’ request for immediate injunctive relief marks the latest stage in its larger effort to block a damaging and precedent-setting road from King Cove to Cold Bay, Alaska, that would plow through the heart of Izembek.