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Two Southern Appalachian Brook Trout underwater and surface
Washington, D.C.

House Set to Vote on Misleading Bill Blocking Regulation of Lead Ammunition on Federal Lands

The United States House of Representatives is expected this Wednesday to vote on H.R. 556 – Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2025.
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2023.11.19 - Pinyon Jay in tree - Topaz Lake, Nevada -  by JC Bleam.jpg
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

First-of-its-Kind Study Sheds Light on Forest Thinning Impacts on Pinyon Jays

Though the pinyon jay population continues to decline at alarming rates, until now the threats facing it remained largely under-researched. Defenders of Wildlife, along with
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green sea turtle
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Trump Administration Calls on “God Squad” to Weaken Endangered Species Act Protections

The Trump administration today announced its intent to convene the Endangered Species Committee — colloquially known as the “God Squad”— on March 31, 2026, to consider an exemption under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for oil and gas-related activities in the Gulf of Mexico.

Press Releases

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Gray Wolf
Oakland, Calif.

District Court Judge to Hear Arguments in Lawsuit to Relist Lower 48 Gray Wolf

Defenders of Wildlife, represented by Earthjustice, will present oral arguments Friday in U.S. District Court in a case that will decide whether federal Endangered Species Act protection is restored to gray wolves across much of the country.
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Manatee with baby
Orange Springs, FL

SJRWMD Survey Results Demonstrate Strong Support for Ocklawaha River Restoration

The recent month-long, online public survey launched by St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) regarding the future of the Kirkpatrick Dam and Rodman Reservoir resulted in 10,482 responses.
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Mexican Gray Wolf stare

Revised Mexican Gray Wolf Management Rule Fails to Satisfy Court Order and Scientists

Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced its proposed changes to the management regulations for Mexican gray wolves in the Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area (MWEPA) in Arizona and New Mexico.
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Canada lynx walking through bushes in Rio Grande National Forest
Denver, Colorado

Conservation Groups Unite to Protect Threatened Species in Colorado

Today, Defenders of Wildlife, The Wilderness Society, the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, San Juan Citizens Alliance, WildEarth Guardians and the Western Environmental Law Center
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Satellite imagery shows the growth in mountaintop removal mines in the study area between 1985-2015
Washington, DC

Mountaintop Removal Worse for Endangered Species Than Initially Thought

The researchers from Defenders of Wildlife’s Center for Conservation Innovation (CCI), and conservation technology nonprofit SkyTruth, combined water-quality data with satellite imagery of mountaintop removal mining activity to estimate the full extent of water-quality degradation attributable to the practice at the landscape level.
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