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Sea otter with head poking above the water
Washington, DC

Defenders of Wildlife Urges Public Opposition to NOAA’s Planned Review That Could Weaken California’s Authority to Protect its Coastline

NOAA will review California's Coastal Management Program following a directive from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Defenders of Wildlife urges public participation in upcoming public meetings to protect California's coast, wildlife, and state authority.
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Grand Teton NP
WASHINGTON, D.C.

America the Beautiful Act Would Reauthorize Nearly $2 billion for National Parks and Public Lands

Defenders of Wildlife supports passage of the America the Beautiful Act, sponsored by Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AR).
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Rocky coastline of the Atlantic ocean with native plants in the foreground under a fog
Washington, DC

BLM Oil and Gas Rule Rescission Threatens Wildlife Habitat — and American Pocketbooks

Today, the Bureau of Land Management announced a proposed rule to rescind the 2024 BLM Oil and Gas rule which will significantly roll back bonding requirements for oil and gas companies and reduce public comment periods for drilling applications.

Press Releases

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Polar Bears
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Attempt to Sell Out the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Flops

Today’s lease sale for the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge continues the Trump administration’s destructive attack on our nation’s public lands and wildlife. Today, three entities were identified as the successful bidders on 11 tracts, yielding a paltry $7 million to the federal treasury because the state of Alaska receives half of the sale price of $14 million. The failed lease sale underscores a lack of interest in developing the Arctic refuge and sets up an incoming Biden administration to reverse course to permanently protect the refuge.
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Pair of ruby throated hummingbirds on a branch
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Pulls Protections for Migratory Birds

Despite nearly 200,000 public comments defending the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) and a decisive loss in the federal courts, the administration is still trying to cement into law its (now illegal) plan to strip protections from migratory birds.
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Polar Bear
Anchorage, AK

Bureau of Land Management Finalizes Western Arctic Drilling Plan

Today, the Bureau of Land Management released the Record of Decision for a revised Integrated Activity Plan for the 22 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (Reserve), located in the state’s Western Arctic region.
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Polar Bears
Anchorage, AK

Groups rush to court to stop ConocoPhillips’ Willow project winter road construction and gravel mining

Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic and five allied groups filed a motion in the U.S. District Court today requesting a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to stop ConocoPhillips from starting winter road construction and gravel mining for its Willow project.
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Black bears on rocks above Anan Creek Tongass NF
Juneau, AK

Lawsuit Takes Aim at Trump Administration Decision to Gut Tongass National Forest Protections

Alaska’s 17-million-acre Tongass National Forest, sometimes called America’s Amazon, has faced a grave threat since the Trump administration stripped away critical safeguards against logging by exempting it from the federal Roadless Rule just before the election. Today, a wide-ranging coalition of Indigenous Tribes from Southeast Alaska, businesses, and conservation organizations filed a lawsuit targeting the Trump administration rollback.
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