FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:  January 21, 2015

Contact: Melanie Gade, mgade@defenders.org (202) 772-0288

Senate Rejects Damaging Amendment, Protects Endangered Species Act

WASHINGTON – Today the Senate voted down an amendment, sponsored by Mike Lee (UT), to the Keystone pipeline bill that would have restricted citizens’ access to the courts and curtailed their ability to hold the government accountable when it fails to properly enforce the Endangered Species Act.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, Former Defenders of Wildlife's President and CEO issued the following statement:

“Today, in one of the first votes of this new Congress, the Senate voted to affirm the integrity of the Endangered Species Act. By rejecting the Lee amendment, the Senate ensured that all citizens will retain the ability to hold the government accountable when its actions threaten America’s imperiled wildlife. We applaud those Senators who stood strong in the face of this attempt to undermine the integrity of one of this nation’s bedrock conservation laws.”

###

Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1.1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org and follow us on Twitter @defendersnews.

 

 

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

Image
Whooping cranes at Aransas NWR
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders Presses Forward in Lawsuit Against ESA 4(d) Rescission

Defenders of Wildlife today filed an amended complaint challenging the Trump administration’s rescission of the Endangered Species Act’s blanket 4(d) rule with co-plaintiffs, the Center for Biological Diversity.
Image
Black-footed ferret sticking head out of burrow looking towards camera
Topeka, Kansas

Black-Footed Ferrets Secure Critical Win, Following Public Outcry

A transmission line in Kansas will be modified to avoid impact on the endangered black-footed ferret, a significant win driven by individuals across the Plains.