For Immediate Release
Washington, DC

Acting Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt announced that the Atlantic will be included in the 5-year offshore leasing plan for oil and gas development. This plan will replace former President Obama’s 5-year plan, which protected these areas and blocked oil and gas development. The Atlantic Ocean is the only habitat for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

Jamie Rappaport Clark, CEO and president, Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement: 

“The Trump administration has made one bad decision after another for America’s oceans. On the heels of the Trump administration approving requests from five oil companies to conduct seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean, Acting Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt has continued the pursuit of energy dominance by announcing that the Atlantic Ocean will be opened to drilling.

“Offshore drilling is risky business. President Trump’s plan threatens the survival of our diverse and abundant marine wildlife, including the imperiled North Atlantic right whale.”

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.

  

Media Contact

News

right whale
Orlando, Fla.

Court Urged to Uphold Ship Strike Protections for North Atlantic Right Whales

Conservation groups today filed a friend of the court brief expressing support for a federal vessel speed limit rule to protect critically endangered North Atlantic
Ocelot
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Fish and Wildlife Service Misguided in Rescinding Vital Strategic Growth Policy for the National Wildlife Refuge System

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service quietly rescinded its Refuge System Strategic Growth Policy in December, bypassing the legally required public comment period for such a change, despite having issued the policy with an accompanying public comment period in 2014.
Visit the newsroom