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Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle is on his way home after being released from a cold-stun rehab center.
New Orleans, LA

Defenders Celebrates U.S. Appeals Court Ruling to Protect Imperiled Sea Turtles from Drowning in Fishing Nets

A federal appeals court upheld the rule requiring shrimp trawling vessels to use turtle excluder devices so that sea turtles can avoid getting caught in nets.
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pale gray north atlantic right whale swimming in dark blue ocean with an entangled string wrapped around the top of its head and seen underneath it's lower body
Washington, DC

House Gambles with Survival for North Atlantic Right Whales in Latest Vote to Delay Protections

The House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 9436, a bill that will delay conservation protections for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.
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 Izembek National Wildlife Refuge - Izembek Volcanoe
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

District Court Okays Bulldozing a Road to the Doorstep of Izembek Wilderness

A federal district court in Alaska today allowed construction to begin on a 2.8-mile road segment on KCC lands to connect to a 10.5-mile road within Izembek.

Press Releases

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Banggai cardinalfish
Washington, DC

Biden Administration Urged to Release Critical Records on Wildlife Imports

More than 20 groups urged the Biden administration on Friday to release wildlife import and export data hidden from the public since 2015. The data
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Border wall
Washington, DC

Biden Administration Halts Border Wall Construction

Today, the Biden administration announced plans to halt border wall construction along the Southwest border of the U.S. The plan, which will be carried out by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, fulfills President Biden’s promise to end the diversion of funds for the border wall, and outlines steps the administration will take to address life, safety and environmental concerns.
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Red wolf eyes
Columbia, NC

Critically Endangered Red Wolf Killed by Car

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed this week that a 4-year-old Red Wolf has been killed in a roadway collision with a vehicle. The wolf was one of four previously captive adult wolves released into the wild in late April, as required by a recent court decision.
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Baby black bear Tongass

Biden Administration Announces It Will Revisit Tongass National Forest Roadless Rule

Today, the Biden administration announced that it will be initiating a new rulemaking to revisit the Roadless Area Conservation Rule on the Tongass National Forest, which was eliminated by the Trump administration.
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Burrowing owl
Washington, DC

The Biodiversity and Climate Crises Are Inextricably Linked According to New Report

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have released new peer-reviewed findings that while the
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