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Rice's Whale
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders Slams Unlawful God Squad Vote to Strip Endangered Species Act Protection from Wildlife in the Gulf

Defenders of Wildlife strongly opposes today’s vote by the Endangered Species Committee, or God Squad, to condemn species to extinction in the name of a fictitious “national security emergency.”
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Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge at sunset
Washington, D.C.

Court Victory for Florida Wetlands Protection

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled today that permits to build in wetlands should stay in the hands of
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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.

Press Releases

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Red wolf staring straight on
Columbia, NC

Release of Highly Endangered Red Wolves into Wild Gives Hope to Renewed Conservation

Following a successful legal battle, conservation groups hope the recent release of nine highly endangered Red Wolves into the wild is the first of many steps by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service needed to save the world’s rarest canids that now number as few as 15 known animals in the wild.
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Gray Wolf Mother and Cubs - Montana

Wash. Department of Fish and Wildlife Proposing Lenient Wolf Killing Rules

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently accepting public comment on proposed rule changes to address how the state handles gray wolf-livestock conflict deterrence.
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Lone Mexican gray wolf
Albuquerque, NM

Mexican Gray Wolf Population Up By 5 Percent

Wildlife officials released the annual Mexican gray wolf population data today. There are now more Mexican gray wolves roaming the southwestern U.S. than at any time since the federal government started to reintroduce the endangered species.
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Photo of the White House in Washington, DC
Washington, DC

President’s Budget Proposes the Highest Funding Levels Ever for Wildlife Refuges

President Biden’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes significant funding increases for wildlife protection, landscape conservation and many other critical issues that Defenders of Wildlife has worked to support amidst the worsening extinction crisis.
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Horshoe crabs
Charleston, SC

New Report: SC Horseshoe Crab’s Sharp Decline Can—and Must—Be Reversed

Defenders of Wildlife published a new in-depth report on the decline of horseshoe crabs in South Carolina, urging the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) to take concrete steps to intervene.
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