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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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Defenders of Wildlife Urges Action on California’s Clean Energy Goals
Recently, 55 environmental groups, including Defenders of Wildlife, sent a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), urging them
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Biden Administration to Protect Alaska’s Bristol Bay from Mining
The Biden administration today announced that it plans to restore protections for Alaska’s Bristol Bay. The Environmental Protection Agency filed a motion in the U.S. District Court for Alaska to reverse a Trump-era decision that had stripped environmental protections for the bay.
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New Legal Claims Challenge Feds’ Failure to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales From Deadly Fishing Gear Entanglement
The Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation and Defenders of Wildlife filed additional legal claims against the National Marine Fisheries Service today for failing to prevent critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from getting tangled up and killed in lobster gear.
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Lawsuit Launched to Protect Rare Southeast Alaska Wolf
Defenders of Wildlife, Center for Biological Diversity and Alaska Rainforest Defenders filed a formal notice today of their intent to sue the federal government for failing to act on a petition to protect Alexander Archipelago wolves in Southeast Alaska under the Endangered Species Act.
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Defenders of Wildlife Partners with Jeff Corwin on New Wildlife Conservation TV Show on ABC
Defenders of Wildlife and Litton Entertainment today announced the launch of Wildlife Nation with Jeff Corwin, a new tv show airing every Saturday morning on ABC stations nationwide. The show premiere's on October 2, 2021, and highlights the remarkable wildlife of North America and the inspiring partners working together to save them from the brink of extinction.
jcovey@defenders.org
