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Bison in field
Wolf Point, Mont.

Proposed Biodiversity Credit Pilot Program a First for Tribes, Healthy Grasslands

A new conservation pilot program will offer industry leaders the opportunity to contribute to the return of bison to tribal lands, which will in turn
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Southern Sea Otter on its Back with Tag on its Foot
Olympia, WA

Defenders Offers Reward for Information on Sea Otter Poaching

The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that a federally protected sea otter was illegally tortured and killed in February 2025. Both FWS and Defenders
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20202.10.06 - Sandhill crane in flight over Llano Seco- Frank Schulenburg (CC BY-SA 2.0).jpg
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

Newsom Signs Bill to Save Native Species from Federal Protections Rollbacks

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into state law Assembly Bill 1319, which was sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife and authored by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank), which

Press Releases

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Chinook Salmon make their way up ship creek to spawn.
SEATTLE, Wash.

WA Governor, Senator Announce Process to Assess Feasibility of Lower Snake River Dam Removal

In a joint statement, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) recently laid out a new plan to combine state and federal resources to assess the impacts and costs of breaching the four lower Snake River dams.
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Shortfin mako shark
Washington, DC

Countries Undermine the Shortfin Mako’s Chances of Survival at Recent ICCAT Meeting

In a disappointing development, Wednesday’s International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) panel meeting failed yet again to advance negotiations which would provide shortfin mako sharks with the protection they need.
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Capitol Building
Washington, DC

Build Back Better Contains Many Wins for Wildlife and Combatting Climate Change

After months of negotiations, today, the House leadership released a near-final version of the Build Back Better Act, a core piece of President Biden’s agenda.
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California condors in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument
Washington, DC

Biden To Reverse Two Harmful Trump Rules That Limited Endangered Species Act Protections

The Biden administration announced it is reversing two harmful Trump administration rules that undermine the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the bedrock law that protects our nation’s wildlife from extinction. Broadly, the two rules had altered the way critical habitat is designated.
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North atlantic right whale and calf
Boston, MA

Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale Population Drops to Estimated 336

Today, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium announced that the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale’s population continued its decade-long decline, dropping from 366 in 2019 to 336 in 2020—an 8% decline.
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
jpetrequin@defenders.org
(202) 772-0243