For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON (March 28, 2017) – President Trump signed a sweeping executive order today that removes key Obama administration protections for our air, lands, water and wildlife. Today’s order calls for dismantling many of the Obama administration’s efforts to combat climate change.

Statement from Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark:

“Climate change is the single greatest global threat we face, and it’s already happening, right now. It has vast implications for our health, our communities and our lands and wildlife.

“This executive order only serves polluters who would prefer to operate without regard for our natural heritage or future generations. It does not serve the clear majority of American people who want our children to inherit a healthy planet. It does not serve thousands of communities that depend on rivers and streams for clean, safe drinking water. And it absolutely does not serve our nation’s wildlife, which must fight for survival against habitat damage and pollution in a rapidly changing climate.

“Under the Obama administration, we made strides to reduce emissions and create strategies to prepare for and reduce the impacts of climate change. But with this latest executive order, President Trump could turn back the clock on almost all of that – all but guaranteeing that we will face more climate disasters and be less able to cope with them.

“President Trump’s actions mark a dismal beginning for an administration that promised to ‘Make America Great Again’.”

For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on X @Defenders.

  

News

NARW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Legal Intervention Aims to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales From Deadly Ship Strikes

Conservation groups today filed a motion to intervene to help fight a lawsuit aimed at overturning a seasonal speed rule protecting North Atlantic right whales from deadly vessel strikes. The groups want to defend the rule against a lawsuit brought by a New York vessel owner fined for violating seasonal speed limits. The suit alleges that NOAA Fisheries lacked the statutory authority to issue the rule.
greater sage grouse
Washington, D.C.

Final Rescission of Public Lands Rule Reverses Modern Land Management, Threatens Wildlife Habitat

The Bureau of Land Management today announced a decision to roll back the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule. The policy modernized how BLM manages our national public lands and represented the critical incorporation of ecological resilience into management alongside traditional resource extraction. The rule required science-based decision-making, conservation considerations within multiple land uses and a focus on sustaining public lands for the long-term benefit of wildlife and the American people.
Visit the newsroom