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Whooping cranes at Aransas NWR
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders Presses Forward in Lawsuit Against ESA 4(d) Rescission

Defenders of Wildlife today filed an amended complaint challenging the Trump administration’s rescission of the Endangered Species Act’s blanket 4(d) rule with co-plaintiffs, the Center for Biological Diversity.
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Black-footed ferret sticking head out of burrow looking towards camera
Topeka, Kansas

Black-Footed Ferrets Secure Critical Win, Following Public Outcry

A transmission line in Kansas will be modified to avoid impact on the endangered black-footed ferret, a significant win driven by individuals across the Plains.
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Young Fisher kit, Martes pennanti,  peeks from log, Montana, USA
WASHINGTON, DC

Lawsuit Launched to Protect West Coast Fishers

Defenders of Wildlife alongside the Center of Biological Diversity and others today notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of their intent to sue over

Press Releases

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Right Whale
Wassaw Island, GA

Thirteenth Critically Endangered Right Whale Calf of the Season Spotted Near Georgia

Yesterday, NOAA Fisheries announced that a newborn North Atlantic right whale had been spotted near Wassaw Island, Georgia, making it the 13th calf of the 2020-2021 calving season. The newborn was accompanied by its 14-year-old mother. This calf is the mother’s first.
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Sunrise at Heartbreak Rock, Joshua Tree National Park
Washington, D.C.

Inauguration Day Brings Hope for Wildlife

President & CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark on the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States.
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Royal Tern
New York

Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration’s Gutting of Federal Protection for Migratory Birds

National environmental groups filed a lawsuit today in the Southern District of New York challenging the Trump administration’s reinterpretation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which eliminated longstanding, vital protections for more than 1,000 species of waterfowl, raptors and songbirds.
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Mojave Desert Tortoise, Mojave Max, on stones
St. George, Utah

Trump Administration Decision To Build Highway In Utah Violates Environmental Laws And Risks Integrity Of National Conservation Lands

Today, the Trump administration’s Bureau of Land Management issued a Record of Decision permitting construction of the Northern Corridor Highway, a controversial four-lane highway through the protected Red Cliffs National Conservation Area (NCA) in southwest Utah. The US Fish & Wildlife Service also issued an Incidental Take Permit, allowing for destruction of desert tortoises in the path of the highway project and to reduce protections elsewhere. Desert tortoises are listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.
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Wolf from the Canyon pack next to road near Norris taken from snowcoach through the glass window
Washington, DC

Groups Challenge Trump Administration Over Gray Wolf Delisting

Today, six environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s rule that removed Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the lower-48 states
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