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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.
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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.
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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
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Wash. Department of Fish and Wildlife Proposing Lenient Wolf Killing Rules
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently accepting public comment on proposed rule changes to address how the state handles gray wolf-livestock conflict deterrence.
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Mexican Gray Wolf Population Up By 5 Percent
Wildlife officials released the annual Mexican gray wolf population data today. There are now more Mexican gray wolves roaming the southwestern U.S. than at any time since the federal government started to reintroduce the endangered species.
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President’s Budget Proposes the Highest Funding Levels Ever for Wildlife Refuges
President Biden’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes significant funding increases for wildlife protection, landscape conservation and many other critical issues that Defenders of Wildlife has worked to support amidst the worsening extinction crisis.
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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.
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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.
jcovey@defenders.org
