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Florida panther
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Submits Technical Comments and Over 8,400 Public Comments in Efforts to Stop Harmful ESA Proposals

Defenders of Wildlife today submitted its technical comments opposing the Trump administration’s proposals to weaken the Endangered Species Act’s implementing regulations.
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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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Roaming mountain goat
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.

Press Releases

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Schools of fish glide over a reef in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Washington, DC

Congress Urged to Overturn Trump Administration Rule That Prioritizes Oil and Gas Over Protecting Gulf of Mexico Corals

Turtle Island Restoration Network, Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife called on Congress today to overturn a Trump administration rule from January that rolled-back the planned expansion of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
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Jaguar
Tucson, Ariz.

New Study Reveals Habitat That Could Increase Jaguar Numbers

This week, a new, peer-reviewed scientific study finds that there is far more potential jaguar habitat in the U.S. than was previously thought. Scientists identified an area of more than 20 million acres that could support jaguars in the U.S., 27 times the size of designated critical habitat.
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Rep. Deb Haaland
Washington, D.C.

Deb Haaland Confirmed as Interior Secretary in Historic Vote

The Senate today voted to confirm Rep. Deb Haaland as President Joe Biden's secretary of the Department of the Interior, making her the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
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Endangered Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus), Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

High Manatee Death Rate Sounds Alarm on Biodiversity Loss

More than 400 Florida manatees have died since the start of 2021, fueling concern for the iconic and federally threatened species' future.
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solar farm from the air
Long Island, N.Y.

New Solar Roadmap Shows How Long Island Can Produce More Electricity Than the Region Uses Each Year

The Long Island Solar Roadmap (the Roadmap), a new report and i nteractive online map from The Nature Conservancy and Defenders of Wildlife, demonstrates how
Senior Vice President, External Affairs
lsheehan@defenders.org
(202) 772-3244
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mdewane@defenders.org
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jcovey@defenders.org
Communications Specialist
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Communications Specialist
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(202) 772-3268