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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.
Press Releases
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Defenders Condemns Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans
Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across the country have faced an alarming deluge—more than 3,800—of hate-related incidents, which include verbal abuse and violent attacks, since March 2020. After shootings in the Atlanta area this week killed six women of Asian descent—people nationwide are sharing their support of solidarity with AAPI communities, including Defenders of Wildlife. President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark released a statement.
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Congress Urged to Overturn Trump Administration Rule That Prioritizes Oil and Gas Over Protecting Gulf of Mexico Corals
Turtle Island Restoration Network, Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife called on Congress today to overturn a Trump administration rule from January that rolled-back the planned expansion of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
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New Study Reveals Habitat That Could Increase Jaguar Numbers
This week, a new, peer-reviewed scientific study finds that there is far more potential jaguar habitat in the U.S. than was previously thought. Scientists identified an area of more than 20 million acres that could support jaguars in the U.S., 27 times the size of designated critical habitat.
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Deb Haaland Confirmed as Interior Secretary in Historic Vote
The Senate today voted to confirm Rep. Deb Haaland as President Joe Biden's secretary of the Department of the Interior, making her the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
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High Manatee Death Rate Sounds Alarm on Biodiversity Loss
More than 400 Florida manatees have died since the start of 2021, fueling concern for the iconic and federally threatened species' future.
jcovey@defenders.org
