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Defenders of Wildlife Welcomes Stefan Ekernas as New Vice President of Species Conservation & Coexistence
Defenders of Wildlife is proud to announce Stephan Ekernas as its new Vice President of Species Conservation and Coexistence, where he will oversee Defenders’ field conservation programs.
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Trump Administration Opens Door to Bear Baiting, Den Hunting in Alaska Preserves
The National Park Service finalized a regulation that abdicates the agency's responsibility to manage wildlife in Alaska's national preserves, deferring instead to state regulations. Defenders of Wildlife condemns the rule, which mirrors a 2020 regulation promulgated by the first Trump administration that was later withdrawn and replaced in 2024.
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BLM Prepares Illegal Move to Open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge to Oil & Gas, a Dangerous Precedent for Wildlife
Defenders of Wildlife is calling on BLM to withdrawal an unprecedented proposal to open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge in Utah to new oil and gas leasing.
Press Releases
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In Victory for Wildlife, Florida Department of Transportation Shelves Last M-CORES Toll Road
After three years of overwhelming public opposition, the Florida Department of Transportation shelved the third and final proposed toll road of the M-CORES program.
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Frustrated Florida Landowners Back Out of Conservation Plan
Southwest Florida is experiencing exponential growth, and the accompanying urban development and expanding roadway networks are putting vital habitat for the endangered Florida panther and many other wildlife species at risk.
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Judge Reinstates Obama-Era Coal Leasing Moratorium on Federal Lands
A federal judge in Montana District Court ruled today to reinstate a moratorium on new coal leasing on public lands, halting all coal leasing on federal lands until the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) completes a more sufficient environmental analysis. Defenders of Wildlife is one of several plaintiffs on this case.
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Federal Proposal Aims to Protect Endangered Right Whales From Ship Strikes
NOAA Fisheries proposed a rule today to better protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being run over and killed by vessels in U.S. waters. Vessel strikes are one of the two primary threats to right whales; the other is entanglement in fishing gear.
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Conservation Groups Demand Transparency on Horseshoe Crab Proposal Ahead of Commission Vote
Conservation groups sent a letter to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission this week strongly urging the body not to move forward with a proposal that would likely renew the killing of female horseshoe crabs for use as fishing bait.
jcovey@defenders.org
