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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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Biden Administration Must Stop Illegal Horseshoe Crab Harvest
Today, Defenders of Wildlife called on President Biden to immediately put a stop to the illegal harvest of horseshoe crabs at Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina.
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Plans for Offshore Wind in California Unveiled
Today, California Governor Gavin Newsom along with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, and Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
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New study shows Australia guilty of the world’s largest downgrading of a marine national park
When vast sections of the Coral Sea Marine Park were opened up to commercial fishing in 2018 it was the largest downgrading of a protected area in history, according to a new study.
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Capitol Hill Hearing Examines Biodiversity Loss and Need for National Strategy
On May 19, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a full committee hearing about biodiversity loss and the drivers, impacts and potential solutions. The event featured Defenders of Wildlife Science Advisory, Dr. Leah Gerber, a leading biodiversity scientist.
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Rare Red Wolves Released in North Carolina after Federal Court Ruling
Red wolf captive breeding facilities today announced the release of four rare Red Wolves into eastern North Carolina after conservation groups won a federal court ruling in January that required the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare a plan to release captive Red Wolves into the wild to avoid irreversible harm to the highly endangered population during ongoing litigation.
jcovey@defenders.org
