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 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.  

 

News

Salt Marsh - Cumberland Island
ST. MARYS, GEORGIA

NPS Land Swaps and Visitor Plan Open the Door to Devastating Impacts at Cumberland Island

In advance of a public hearing on proposed land exchanges on Cumberland Island National Seashore, Defenders of Wildlife called on the National Park Service to remedy a host of management issues facing one of the largest undeveloped barrier islands on the East Coast.
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.
Visit the newsroom