Washington, D.C.

The Trump administration yesterday announced its nomination of Kathleen Sgamma to lead the Bureau of Land Management, which is charged with the stewardship of 245 million acres of American land. Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, is a vocal advocate for oil and gas development on federal land and easing regulations in favor of oil, gas and mining interests.

“The administration’s nomination of Kathleen Sgamma represents a threat to the conservation of our nation’s public lands and wildlife,” said Robert Dewey, vice president of government relations to Defenders of Wildlife. “Ms. Sgamma is a vocal advocate for opening our federal lands to increased oil, gas and mining development which will threaten vital wildlife habitat and set back our nation’s climate goals. These lands should be stewarded in a balanced and sustainable way, not prioritized for the administration’s ‘drill, baby drill’ goals.”

###

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.  

 

Media Contact

Maggie Dewane Headshot
Maggie Dewane
Communications Director
mdewane@defenders.org
(202) 772-0217

News

2019.08.07 - Florida Panther looking straight at camera - MS 45 - fStop Foundation
WASHINGTON, D.C.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Memo Underscores Trump Administration’s All-Fronts War on Wildlife

Brian Nesvik, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, issued a memorandum explaining to FWS staff that the Endangered Species Act’s prohibition on unauthorized “take” applies only to affirmative acts intentionally and purposefully directed at a particular animal. This follows the Trump administration’s rescission of the regulatory definitions of “harm” under the ESA, which took effect this week.
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.
Visit the newsroom