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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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New Defenders of Wildlife Study Identifies Chief Threats to Cook Inlet Belugas Recovery
Findings in a new Defenders of Wildlife study published in Frontiers in Marine Science, show that threats like pollution and prey limitations are preventing recovery
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Defenders of Wildlife Assists Ecuador with International Wildlife Trade Treaty Compliance
A collaboration between Defenders of Wildlife and the Ecuadorian government yielded new legislation that will bring the nation back into compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
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Congress Urged to Increase Spending to $700 Million for Endangered Species Conservation
Citing the global extinction crisis, more than 150 groups urged Congress today to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $300 million to $704 million — an increase of more than $400 million over the fiscal year 2022 budget.
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Oregon Legislature Designates $7 Million for Wildlife Crossings
In a first for the state of Oregon, state policymakers approved $7 million dollars in funding for building and maintaining wildlife crossings in the state.
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200,000 Say No to ConocoPhillips' Massive Willow Project
Today, more than 200,000 comments from throughout Alaska and across the country were submitted to the U.S. Interior Department and Bureau of Land Management opposing
jcovey@defenders.org
