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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.
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SG
Great Falls, MT

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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Jake Li testifies in front of Senate epw committeee
WASHINGTON, D.C.

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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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.
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Javelinas at border wall
Washington, D.C.

Agreement Prohibits Military Spending on Border Wall, Requires Restoration, Damage Study

Several federal agencies and Defenders of Wildlife, Center for Biological Diversity and Animal Legal Defense Fund reached an agreement today that prohibits military spending on border walls.
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View of Pisgah National Forest through the trees
Asheville, NC

Conservation Groups Object to Forest Service’s Revised Nantahala and Pisgah Forest Plan

This week, conservation groups formally objected to the US Forest Service’s revised Nantahala and Pisgah Forest Plan, arguing that it falls short of what is needed to ensure these popular, beloved, and iconic forests are properly managed for future generations.
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