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brown bear
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

Trump Administration Opens Door to Bear Baiting, Den Hunting in Alaska Preserves

The National Park Service finalized a regulation that abdicates the agency's responsibility to manage wildlife in Alaska's national preserves, deferring instead to state regulations. Defenders of Wildlife condemns the rule, which mirrors a 2020 regulation promulgated by the first Trump administration that was later withdrawn and replaced in 2024.
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Washington, DC

BLM Prepares Illegal Move to Open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge to Oil & Gas, a Dangerous Precedent for Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife is calling on BLM to withdrawal an unprecedented proposal to open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge in Utah to new oil and gas leasing.
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Jake Li Testimony at EPW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

A Much-Needed Win for Wildlife: Senate Introduces Bill to Improve Endangered Species Act Implementation

Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Pete Rickets (R-NE) today introduced the Improving Species Recovery Act, an important bipartisan bill that would improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act.

Press Releases

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Lily pond in Okefenokee NWR

Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Era Water Rule Change, Offering Hope for Okefenokee

Today, A federal judge struck down a Trump administration replacement rule that significantly curtailed the effectiveness and scope of the Clean Water Act.
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Photo Austin James Jr -Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs

New Video Footage Surfaces of Wolf in Southern California

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDWF) has announced that a collared gray wolf was seen on trail camera footage in mid-May on private property in southwestern Kern County. It’s possible that this was OR-93, whose GPS collar went completely silent in early April 2021, raising concerns that the young male wolf may no longer be alive.
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New Mexico wildlife
Albuquerque, NM

New Mexico Formally Commits to Biden’s America the Beautiful Plan

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order (EO) today focused on protecting New Mexico’s biodiversity, carbon stores and natural working lands. Despite being rich in species of plants and wildlife, only 5% of New Mexico’s lands and waters are protected with biodiversity as the priority.
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Gray wolf yearlings from Lamar Canyon pack in Yellowstone NP
Helena, Montana

Montana Proposes Increase in Wolf Hunting Quota

On Friday, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission approved a proposal to increase the wolf harvest in Montana, including the use of controversial techniques such as snaring, baiting and night hunting.
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Gunnison Sage Grouse
Washington, DC

New Forest Plan in Colorado Pushes Logging Over Land and Wildlife Conservation

The U.S. Forest Service recently released its much-anticipated draft revised forest plan and draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Colorado’s Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison
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
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268
Communications Specialist
estern@defenders.org
202-772-0243