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Porcupine caribou making its way through deep snow on the East Fork of the Chandalar River
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Enough is Enough: Senate Blocks Yet Another Attempt to Prioritize Drilling in the Arctic

The Senate today blocked an attempt to pass S. 5438, introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK). The bill would have ratified and approved all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to federal law necessary for the establishment and administration of the Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program, among other purposes.
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Juvenile California Condor
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Senate Permitting Deal Threatens Bedrock Endangered Species Protections

Defenders of Wildlife today strongly condemned Endangered Species Act provisions reportedly included in a Senate permitting package, warning they would weaken critical protections for imperiled wildlife.
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A gray wolf stand and peers at the remote camera. The grass is green and there is a forest of pines behind the wolf.
Sacramento

Gov. Newsom Signs Landmark Legislation Creating California Wildlife Coexistence Program

Governor Gavin Newsom today signed into law Senate Bill 1135, establishing the California Wildlife Coexistence Program within the Department of Fish and Wildlife to better

Press Releases

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Polar Bears
Washington, DC

Rep. Huffman Introduces Polar Bear Cub Survival Act

Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) introduced the Polar Bear Cub Survival Act of 2020 in response to reports that lease sales in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are imminent. Drilling would further threaten the critically-imperiled Southern Beaufort Sea polar bear population, especially by increasing the risk of death to newborn polar bear cubs sheltered in maternal dens in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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Polar Bears
Charlottesville, VA

Lawsuit: Government illegally “cut corners” to ram through NEPA changes

A group of 17 environmental organizations in a lawsuit today accused the government of racing through an industry-friendly rewrite of the National Environmental Policy Act
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Adolescent gray wolf howling near Lamar River in Yellowstone
Olympia, Wash.

Female Wolf Removed from Washington's Wolf Pack

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today reported that a non-breeding adult female wolf from the Wedge pack in the Kettle Range in northeast Washington has been lethally removed, leaving two wolves in the pack. This action comes days after WDFW issued a lethal removal order for one wolf in this pack. WDFW has now moved to an evaluation period for both the Wedge and Togo wolf packs.
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scarlet macaw barrel nest
Veracruz, Mexico

Barrels Provide Much-Needed Nesting Habitat for Scarlet Macaws in Mexico

Mexico’s scarlet macaws are finding a nesting refuge in an unlikely place – barrels. This unusual artificial home is used by a reintroduction project in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve in Veracruz, Mexico. The project, which brings together scientists, NGOs and communities, aims to restore a healthy population of scarlet macaws in the reserve, which is part of its historical range.
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Belugas
Anchorage, AK

Groups call out Army Corps for negligent review of Pebble’s faulty mine proposal

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a final environmental impact statement for the proposed Pebble mine that fails to address the concerns of scientists
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
lsheehan@defenders.org
(202) 772-3244
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mdewane@defenders.org
(202) 772-0217
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Communications Specialist
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(202) 772-3268
Communications Specialist
estern@defenders.org
202-772-0243