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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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Williamson’s Sapsucker on a branch
Riverside, California

Proposed Riverside County National Wildlife Refuge Gains Valuable Congressional Allies, Broad Community Support

At a hike within the boundaries of the proposed National Wildlife Refuge in western Riverside County, representatives from Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) and Rep. Ken
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beluga whale
Alaska

New Defenders of Wildlife Study Identifies Chief Threats to Cook Inlet Belugas Recovery

Findings in a new Defenders of Wildlife study published in Frontiers in Marine Science, show that threats like pollution and prey limitations are preventing recovery
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Jaguar on a log
Washington, DC

Defenders of Wildlife Assists Ecuador with International Wildlife Trade Treaty Compliance

A collaboration between Defenders of Wildlife and the Ecuadorian government yielded new legislation that will bring the nation back into compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
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Akepa, endangered, found in Hakalau Forest NWR

Congress Urged to Increase Spending to $700 Million for Endangered Species Conservation

Citing the global extinction crisis, more than 150 groups urged Congress today to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $300 million to $704 million — an increase of more than $400 million over the fiscal year 2022 budget.
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Wildlife Crossing Bridge Over Two Lane Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park
Portland, ORE.

Oregon Legislature Designates $7 Million for Wildlife Crossings

In a first for the state of Oregon, state policymakers approved $7 million dollars in funding for building and maintaining wildlife crossings in the state.
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