Image
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Memo Underscores Trump Administration’s All-Fronts War on Wildlife
Brian Nesvik, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, issued a memorandum explaining to FWS staff that the Endangered Species Act’s prohibition on unauthorized “take” applies only to affirmative acts intentionally and purposefully directed at a particular animal. This follows the Trump administration’s rescission of the regulatory definitions of “harm” under the ESA, which took effect this week.
Image
Court Rules Habitat Must Be Protected After FWS Attempts to Waive Protections for Less Than 40 Sierra Nevada Red Fox
Defenders of Wildlife earned a significant victory for the Endangered Species Act today when a federal district court found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to not designate critical habitat for the endangered Sierra Nevada red fox was a violation of the law.
Image
Construction on Gateway to Road through Izembek Continues
The Ninth Circuit today denied Defenders of Wildlife’s emergency motion to halt construction on King Cove Corp.’s 2.8-mile road segment leading to the doorstep of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Defenders’ request for immediate injunctive relief marks the latest stage in its larger effort to block a damaging and precedent-setting road from King Cove to Cold Bay, Alaska, that would plow through the heart of Izembek.
Press Releases
Image
Defenders of Wildlife Seeks Endangered Status for Pinyon Jay
Defenders of Wildlife petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect the pinyon jay under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The species is
Image
Defenders Applauds Biden Administration's Move to Protect Western Arctic
The Biden administration released a new Record of Decision for the Integrated Activity Plan for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska today, reinstating protections that were pulled back by the Trump administration.
Image
White House Old-growth Forest Strategy is Important First Step Toward Protecting Imperiled Wildlife
Defenders applauds President Biden’s leadership in issuing an executive order directing the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to define, inventory and identify threats to America’s last remaining old and mature forests.
Image
Defenders Applauds New National Nature Assessment Amidst Worsening Biodiversity Crisis
Defenders of Wildlife welcomed an announcement that the Biden administration is adopting two major initiatives – the National Nature Assessment and the Natural Capital Account – that will create a stronger scientific and economic foundation for curbing the acceleration of climate change and the extinction crises.
Image
First Wild Red Wolf Pups Born Since 2018
This week, Red Wolf Recovery Program staff confirmed a litter of six wild Red Wolf puppies, the first born in the wild since 2018. The pups, which include four females and two males, were found in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.
jcovey@defenders.org
