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Defenders of Wildlife Challenges Unprecedented “God Squad” Exemption Allowing Unchecked Gulf Oil Drilling
Defenders of Wildlife today announced it is taking legal action to overturn an unprecedented and unlawful decision by the Endangered Species Committee, known as the “God Squad,” to exempt federal authorizations of oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico through a blanket exemption from the Endangered Species Act’s protections.
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Oregon Governor Signs Historic Bill Investing in the Environment
Defenders of Wildlife is celebrating a monumental victory for wildlife, wild places and local economies in Oregon. Passed with bipartisan support and signed yesterday by
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Congress Urged to Fully Fund U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Restore Workforce
The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and more than 150 conservation groups today urged Congress to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $299 million to $870 million.
Press Releases
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Sec. of Defense Invokes False “National Security” Rationale to Eviscerate Endangered Species Act Protections for Wildlife in the Gulf
In a litigation filing yesterday in federal district court, the Trump administration publicly admitted for the first time that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum scheduled a snap meeting of the Endangered Species Committee (the “God Squad”) for March 31 at the request of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
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Lawsuit Filed Over Trump Administration Abandonment of Sage-Grouse Protections
Montana Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, and The Wilderness Society today sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management over its abandonment of critical protections for
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Defenders of Wildlife Testifies on Opportunities to Collaborate on Improving the Implementation of the Endangered Species Act
Defenders of Wildlife’s vice president of conservation policy Jake Li today testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife on opportunities to improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act.
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House Set to Vote on Misleading Bill Blocking Regulation of Lead Ammunition on Federal Lands
The United States House of Representatives is expected this Wednesday to vote on H.R. 556 – Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025.
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First-of-its-Kind Study Sheds Light on Forest Thinning Impacts on Pinyon Jays
Though the pinyon jay population continues to decline at alarming rates, until now the threats facing it remained largely under-researched. Defenders of Wildlife, along with
jcovey@defenders.org
