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Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge at sunset
Washington, D.C.

Court Victory for Florida Wetlands Protection

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled today that permits to build in wetlands should stay in the hands of
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Willet
Washington, D.C.

Sec. of Defense Invokes False “National Security” Rationale to Eviscerate Endangered Species Act Protections for Wildlife in the Gulf

In a litigation filing yesterday in federal district court, the Trump administration publicly admitted for the first time that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum scheduled a snap meeting of the Endangered Species Committee (the “God Squad”) for March 31 at the request of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
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SG
Great Falls, MT

Lawsuit Filed Over Trump Administration Abandonment of Sage-Grouse Protections

Montana Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, and The Wilderness Society today sued the U.S. Bureau of Land Management over its abandonment of critical protections for

Press Releases

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Polar bear dragging stick in Alaska
Washington, DC

6 Ways to Take Action on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s 60th Anniversary

In 1960, Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower created the Arctic National Wildlife Range “for the purpose of preserving unique wildlife, wilderness, and recreational values.” Twenty years later, President Jimmy Carter expanded the range and renamed the area as Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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Polar Bears
Washington, DC

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Polar Bears on the Auction Block

The Bureau of Land Management announced today that it will hold an oil and gas lease sale on January 6 for the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the nation’s premier national wildlife refuges.
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Golden eagle in Glacier NP
Washington, DC

Congress Announces National Strategy to Protect our Nation’s Biodiversity

As a result of human-related activities, the loss of species is accelerating faster than ever before in human history according to scientists. The consequences of
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North atlantic right whale
Washington, DC

Emergency Petition Seeks to Protect Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales From Fishing Gear

Conservation and wildlife-protection groups today filed an emergency rulemaking petition to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from becoming entangled in commercial fishing gear.
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Prairie dog mom and pup

Ill-Conceived Change to Thunder Basin National Grassland Management Plan Quashes Hope for Successful Black-Footed Ferret Recovery

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) released a record of decision today on a management plan amendment for Thunder Basin National Grassland in Wyoming, finalizing a rollback of crucial protections for prairie dogs at the site. The end of these protections is a fatal blow to the prospective reintroduction of critically endangered black-footed ferrets to Thunder Basin, which has been managed as a future reintroduction site since 1988.
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