Image
manta rays swimming in the shallow ocean with coral
Fort Myers, FL

Defenders of Wildlife Applauds Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for Tightening Protections for Listed Species

Defenders of Wildlife welcomes today’s action by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to end open permitting for the capture of ESA-threatened marine species in Florida waters for public display and exhibition purposes.
Image
NARW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Legal Intervention Aims to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales From Deadly Ship Strikes

Conservation groups today filed a motion to intervene to help fight a lawsuit aimed at overturning a seasonal speed rule protecting North Atlantic right whales from deadly vessel strikes. The groups want to defend the rule against a lawsuit brought by a New York vessel owner fined for violating seasonal speed limits. The suit alleges that NOAA Fisheries lacked the statutory authority to issue the rule.
Image
sage grouse in snow at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge
Washington, D.C.

Final Rescission of Public Lands Rule Reverses Modern Land Management, Threatens Wildlife Habitat

The Bureau of Land Management today announced a decision to roll back the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule. The policy modernized how BLM manages our national public lands and represented the critical incorporation of ecological resilience into management alongside traditional resource extraction.

Press Releases

Image
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.
Image
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.
Image
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.
Image
Northern Long-eared Bat
Washington, DC

Feds Propose Endangered Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a proposed rule to reclassify the northern long-eared bat from “threatened” to “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act.
Image
Capitol Building
Washington, DC

2022 Appropriations Fall Short of Conservation Needs

In a disappointing turn of events for the ever-increasing conservation needs of the U.S ., Congress’ appropriations for the upcoming year fell short, especially on funding for Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections and recovery efforts.
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