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black-footed ferret at the nat'l black-footed ferret conservation center
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Slams SPEED Act as it Speeds Toward Habitat Destruction

Defenders of Wildlife condemns Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) SPEED ACT, H.R. 4776 the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, ahead of Thursday’s expected floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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grizzly bear in Alaska
Washington, D.C.

ESA Amendments Act Poses a Historic Threat to America’s Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife remains on high alert as it braces for the House Natural Resources Committee’s full markup of Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) Endangered Species Amendments Act of 2025. More aptly labeled the Extinction Act, the bill seeks to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, stripping away decades of crucial protections for America’s wildlife and their habitats.
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gray wolf walking with paw raised and looking at camera
Washington, D.C.

House Vote Scheduled on Ending Gray Wolf Protections, Undermining the Endangered Species Act

The House of Representatives is expected this Thursday to vote on ending gray wolf protections, prematurely delisting gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act before

Press Releases

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Red wolf eyes
Columbia, NC

Critically Endangered Red Wolf Killed by Car

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed this week that a 4-year-old Red Wolf has been killed in a roadway collision with a vehicle. The wolf was one of four previously captive adult wolves released into the wild in late April, as required by a recent court decision.
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Baby black bear Tongass

Biden Administration Announces It Will Revisit Tongass National Forest Roadless Rule

Today, the Biden administration announced that it will be initiating a new rulemaking to revisit the Roadless Area Conservation Rule on the Tongass National Forest, which was eliminated by the Trump administration.
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Burrowing owl
Washington, DC

The Biodiversity and Climate Crises Are Inextricably Linked According to New Report

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have released new peer-reviewed findings that while the
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Gray Wolf
Bozeman, MT

Forest Service Protections Sought for Wolves in Idaho, Montana Wilderness Areas

Defenders of Wildlife along with a coalition of wildlife advocates and hunters, and represented by the non-profit environmental law firm Earthjustice, today asked the U.S. Forest Service to issue new protections for wolves in designated wilderness areas following Idaho and Montana’s enactment of a rash of aggressive anti-wolf laws.
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Bald eagle nest on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge
Washington, DC

President’s 2022 Fiscal Budget is a Huge Win for Wildlife

The Biden administration’s recently released full 2022 fiscal year budget is a win for wildlife and provides significant funding increases for imperiled species, migratory birds
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
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268