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Washington, DC

BLM Prepares Illegal Move to Open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge to Oil & Gas, a Dangerous Precedent for Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife is calling on BLM to withdrawal an unprecedented proposal to open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge in Utah to new oil and gas leasing.
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Jake Li Testimony at EPW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

A Much-Needed Win for Wildlife: Senate Introduces Bill to Improve Endangered Species Act Implementation

Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Pete Rickets (R-NE) today introduced the Improving Species Recovery Act, an important bipartisan bill that would improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act.
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Porcupine caribou making its way through deep snow on the East Fork of the Chandalar River
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Enough is Enough: Senate Blocks Yet Another Attempt to Prioritize Drilling in the Arctic

The Senate today blocked an attempt to pass S. 5438, introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK). The bill would have ratified and approved all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to federal law necessary for the establishment and administration of the Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program, among other purposes.

Press Releases

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Bald Eagle
Madison, Wisconsin

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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Franklin's bumble bee
Sacramento, CA

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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southern resident orca
Boise, Idaho

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.
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Polar Bear
Washington, DC

Congress Re-introduces Bicameral Legislation to Protect Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Following the Trump administration’s last desperate effort to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas lease sales earlier this year, members of Congress reintroduced the Arctic Refuge Protection Act.
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Gray Wolf

Montana Wildlife Faces Onslaught of Harmful Legislation

So far, 2021 is shaping up to be a rotten year for Montana’s wildlife. The newly sworn-in state legislature is threatening to undo decades of wildlife restoration and conservation work for many of the state’s most iconic species.
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