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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 staring straight on
Chapel Hill, NC

Rare Red Wolves Released in North Carolina after Federal Court Ruling

Red wolf captive breeding facilities today announced the release of four rare Red Wolves into eastern North Carolina after conservation groups won a federal court ruling in January that required the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare a plan to release captive Red Wolves into the wild to avoid irreversible harm to the highly endangered population during ongoing litigation.
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Horseshoe Crabs on a beach
Charleston, SC

Court Orders Halt to Blood Harvest of Horseshoe Crabs in Cape Romain

A federal judge has blocked a contractor for Charles River Laboratories from harvesting horseshoe crabs for their blood from Cape Roman National Wildlife Refuge until a lawsuit seeking to require the practice be conducted sustainably has been decided.
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North atlantic right whale and calf
Washington, DC

Biden Administration Approves First Major Offshore Wind Project

The U.S. Interior Department issued its Final Record of Decision for Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first utility-scale commercial offshore wind energy project. After years of
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Sage grouse
Washington, DC

Biden Administration to Restart Review of Land Uses for Greater Sage-Grouse

The Biden administration announced that it will take another look at the greater sage grouse conservation plans and the process (started in the Obama administration
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A gulf of mexico whale from the air
Washington, DC

Groups File Petition to Save the Gulf of Mexico Whale from Ship Strikes

Defenders of Wildlife and partners filed a petition today with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) to establish a year-round mandatory 10-knot speed limit and other vessel-related regulations within the core habitat of the Gulf of Mexico whale, south of the Florida panhandle.
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