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Black-footed ferret sticking head out of burrow looking towards camera
Topeka, Kansas

Black-Footed Ferrets Secure Critical Win, Following Public Outcry

A transmission line in Kansas will be modified to avoid impact on the endangered black-footed ferret, a significant win driven by individuals across the Plains.
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Young Fisher kit, Martes pennanti,  peeks from log, Montana, USA
WASHINGTON, DC

Lawsuit Launched to Protect West Coast Fishers

Defenders of Wildlife alongside the Center of Biological Diversity and others today notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of their intent to sue over
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prairie dog
Denver, CO

Prairie Dog Coalition Urges Colorado to End Recreational Prairie Dog Shooting on Public Lands

Defenders and partners at the Prairie Dog Coalition call on Colorado Parks and Wildlife to prohibit recreational shooting of prairie dogs on public lands.

Press Releases

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North Atlantic Right Whale and Calf
Washington, D.C.

Gulf of Maine Lobster Fishery Loses ‘Sustainable’ Label Over Concerns About North Atlantic Right Whale Entanglements

The Marine Stewardship Council and Seafood Watch decided to revoke the sustainability label for Gulf of Maine lobster, citing concerns over endangered North Atlantic right whales becoming entangled in fishing gear. The decision comes after Defenders of Wildlife and other conservation groups acted in June 2022 to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale by formally objecting to a determination that the fishery should be recertified. MSC certification is widely recognized in grocery stores with a “blue fish tick” ecolabel.
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Northern Spotted Owl - Rosenburg - Oregon
Washington, D.C.

Judge Allows Biden Administration to Delay Restoring Critical Endangered Species Act Protections

In a major setback for wildlife protection and conservation, a federal district court today sided with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries, delaying the restoration of comprehensive Endangered Species Act protections for hundreds of species and the places they call home.
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Okefenokee kayaking
Washington, D.C.

Lawsuit Challenges Army Corps Decision Imperiling Wetlands Near Okefenokee Swamp

On behalf of Defenders of Wildlife and three other conservation groups, the Southern Environmental Law Center today challenged in federal court a decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to unlawfully reinstate jurisdictional determinations that removed Clean Water Act protections from almost 600 acres of wetlands on the doorstep of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
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Caribou on tundra in NPR-A
Anchorage, AK

Preserving Vital Habitat in Alaska's Western Arctic

Alaska's western Arctic encompasses a vast, wild stretch of land called the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska. At 23 million acres it is the largest single unit of public land in the nation. That's about the same size as the entire state of Indiana! Learn more from our new ArcGIS StoryMap.
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Emerald Glass Frog on Branch - Costa Rica
PANAMA CITY, Panama

Defenders of Wildlife Calls for Countries to Support CITES Protections for Wildlife Amidst Biodiversity Crisis

Defenders of Wildlife’s team of international lawyers are attending the 19th Conference of the Parties (COP 19) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to support countries seeking increased trade regulations for imperiled species.
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
Communications Specialist
estern@defenders.org
202-772-0243