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Willet
Washington, D.C.

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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SG
Great Falls, MT

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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Jake Li testifies in front of Senate epw committeee
WASHINGTON, D.C.

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.

Press Releases

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Washington, DC

New study shows Australia guilty of the world’s largest downgrading of a marine national park

When vast sections of the Coral Sea Marine Park were opened up to commercial fishing in 2018 it was the largest downgrading of a protected area in history, according to a new study.
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Biodiversity collage
Washington, D.C.

Capitol Hill Hearing Examines Biodiversity Loss and Need for National Strategy

On May 19, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a full committee hearing about biodiversity loss and the drivers, impacts and potential solutions. The event featured Defenders of Wildlife Science Advisory, Dr. Leah Gerber, a leading biodiversity scientist.
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Red wolf staring straight on
Chapel Hill, NC

Rare Red Wolves Released in North Carolina after Federal Court Ruling

Red wolf captive breeding facilities today announced the release of four rare Red Wolves into eastern North Carolina after conservation groups won a federal court ruling in January that required the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare a plan to release captive Red Wolves into the wild to avoid irreversible harm to the highly endangered population during ongoing litigation.
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Horseshoe Crabs on a beach
Charleston, SC

Court Orders Halt to Blood Harvest of Horseshoe Crabs in Cape Romain

A federal judge has blocked a contractor for Charles River Laboratories from harvesting horseshoe crabs for their blood from Cape Roman National Wildlife Refuge until a lawsuit seeking to require the practice be conducted sustainably has been decided.
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North atlantic right whale and calf
Washington, DC

Biden Administration Approves First Major Offshore Wind Project

The U.S. Interior Department issued its Final Record of Decision for Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first utility-scale commercial offshore wind energy project. After years of
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
lsheehan@defenders.org
(202) 772-3244
Communications Director
mdewane@defenders.org
(202) 772-0217
Communications Specialist
jcovey@defenders.org
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268