Champion for Wildlife and Wild Places

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2015
Contact: Jared Saylor 202-772-0355

WASHINGTON–Nevada Senator Harry Reid, a longtime champion of America’s environment and natural resources, announced that he will retire at the end of his current term.

Statement by Jamie Rappaport Clark, Former president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife:

“During his long career, Senator Harry Reid has repeatedly stood up to protect our nation’s precious wildlife and wild places. He was instrumental in rolling back a moratorium on listing endangered species in the mid-90’s, allowing imperiled wildlife to once again receive the protections they badly needed. He stepped up for one of the most endangered mammals in our country, the Red Wolf. Thanks to his leadership, he saved the Red Wolf recovery program from efforts by the late Senator Jessie Helms to eliminate it and, in the years following, worked to fend off anti-wildlife policy riders on numerous ‘must pass’ bills. Senator Reid has also been a champion for protection of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and has pushed for new wilderness areas across the country. His leadership and commitment to conservation on the Hill will be sorely missed.”

 

###

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 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

black-footed ferret at the nat'l black-footed ferret conservation center
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Slams SPEED Act as it Speeds Toward Habitat Destruction

Defenders of Wildlife condemns Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) SPEED ACT, H.R. 4776 the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, ahead of Thursday’s expected floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
grizzly bear in Alaska
Washington, D.C.

ESA Amendments Act Poses a Historic Threat to America’s Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife remains on high alert as it braces for the House Natural Resources Committee’s full markup of Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) Endangered Species Amendments Act of 2025. More aptly labeled the Extinction Act, the bill seeks to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, stripping away decades of crucial protections for America’s wildlife and their habitats.
Visit the newsroom