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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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Emergency court order stops ConocoPhillips from moving forward on destructive Willow project
Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic, Defenders of Wildlife and four additional groups applaud a U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling yesterday that stops ConocoPhillips from doing winter road construction, gravel mining, and blasting on its Willow project in the western Arctic, on federal lands in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, while the court decides an appeal in the case.
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Legislation Introduced to Establish one of the Nation’s Largest Urban Wildlife Refuges
A recent report finds that California lost more than 1 million acres of natural area between 2001 and 2017 due to urban development, greatly affecting
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Four Conservation Groups Sue to Protect Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Today, Defenders of Wildlife along with three conservation groups- the National Wildlife Refuge Association, Driftless Area Land Conservancy, and Wisconsin Wildlife Federation – filed a
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Conservationists and California Fish and Game Commission Pursue Appeal to Ensure Legal Protections for Imperiled Bumble Bees
Today, Center for Food Safety, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Xerces Society, represented by Stanford Environmental Law Clinic, announced they are appealing a November 2020 decision by the Sacramento County Superior Court.
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Idaho Legislative Package Kick-starts Northwest Salmon and Energy Discussions
This weekend Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) announced a comprehensive legislative package that seeks to recover salmon throughout the Pacific Northwest, update our outdated energy infrastructure, and invest in community infrastructure needs throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.
jcovey@defenders.org
