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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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NOAA Expands Endangered Southern Resident Orca Critical Habitat by more than 600 Percent
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has finalized a rule that expands southern resident orca critical habitat by approximately 16,000 square miles or 640%
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Tampa Bay’s Catastrophic Red Tide Could Preview Florida’s Future
A large outbreak of highly toxic algae or “red tide” continues to impact Gulf Coast communities in Southwest Florida, resulting in the deaths of over 1,500 tons of marine life and fish, including manatees, goliath groupers, dolphins and endangered sea turtles along St. Petersburg and Pinellas County beaches.
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Congress Calls for Lasting Protections for Migratory Birds
Today, Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) joined with Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and 47 original co-sponsors to introduce the Migratory Bird Protection Act to reaffirm long-standing protections for migratory birds against industrial take — that is, unintentional but predictable killing of birds.
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Golden-Cheeked Warbler Not “Out of the Woods” Yet
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reconfirmed that the Texas-native golden-cheeked warbler continues to require the protections of the U.S. Endangered Species Act to prevent extinction.
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Rare Southeast Alaska Wolf One Step Closer to Endangered Species Protection
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that Alexander Archipelago wolves in Southeast Alaska may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act and started
jcovey@defenders.org
