Image
2024.05.15 - Stream running through forest in Pisgah National Forest - NC - WS - Ben Prater-Defenders of Wildlife.JPG

USDA Moves to Repeal Roadless Rule, Reigniting Fight for Public Lands

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced its formal repeal of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a rule that for 25 years has protected millions
Image
gray wolf
Denver, CO

Colorado Senator Attempts to Block Wolf Reintroduction in Special Session

Colorado State Senator Dylan Roberts introduced legislation today in an attempt to halt the state’s historic gray wolf reintroduction program, which has already seen remarkable
Image
Miles Ritter
Salem, OR

Oregon Approves Conservation Plans for Orcas

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to approve three Endangered Species Management Plans for Southern Resident Orcas, completing the listing process initiated by

Press Releases

Image
Biodiversity collage
Washington, DC

Environmental Organizations, Federal and State Leaders Call for a National Biodiversity Strategy to Combat the Escalating Extinction Crisis

With one million species threatened with extinction, leading conservation organizations, including Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, World Wildlife Fund, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Wildlife Conservation Society and Natural Resources Defense Council, announced a new campaign to advocate for a national biodiversity strategy in the United States. Such a strategy is needed to ensure the U.S. government is taking an effective, whole-of-government approach to prevent the extinction of species, the collapse of ecosystems, and the increasing threats these pose to our health, security and well-being.
Image
Polar Bear
Anchorage, AK

Defenders Urges BLM to Stop the Willow Project and Drilling in the Arctic for Good

Defenders of Wildlife and 12 other organizations sent a letter today to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), expressing deep concern regarding the agency’s attempt
Image
Endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus), Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
St. Petersburg, Fla.

As Deaths Soar, Lawsuit Seeks to Protect Critical Habitat for Florida Manatees

Conservation organizations today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to revise outdated critical habitat for Florida manatees.
Image
Bison crossing river in Yellowstone
Lausanne, Switzerland

Landmark Study Demonstrates Cultural, Ecological and Economic Benefits of Tribal Bison Restoration

A study published today in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution found that widespread restoration of bison to Tribal lands throughout the Northern Great Plains can help restore the prairie ecosystem while improving the long-running issue of food insecurity and food sovereignty for Native Nations, and may help to mitigate adverse impacts to traditional agricultural systems due to climate change.
Image
Wild Mexican Gray Wolf Pup - Sheepherders Baseball Park Pack - New Mexico
Phoenix, Ariz.

81,000 Demand Support for Long-term Mexican Gray Wolf Conservation

More than 81,000 people called on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) this week to establish stronger protections for endangered Mexican gray wolves.
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
jpetrequin@defenders.org
(202) 772-0243