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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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Getting to 30x30: New Report Outlines How to Protect 30% of U.S. Land and Sea by 2030
As momentum builds for protecting 30% of land and ocean by 2030, so too does the evidence to justify the biological and economic benefits of protecting at least 30% of Earth. Now, a new report from Defenders of Wildlife report outlines how we can work towards achieving this ambitious goal in the U.S.
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New Plan Disastrous for Endangered Black-footed Ferret
Late last night, several wildlife conservation organizations filed a formal objection over the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed amendment to Thunder Basin National Grassland’s land management
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Dunes Sagebrush Lizard One Step Closer to Endangered Species Protections
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the dunes sagebrush lizard may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act and initiated a year-long status review.
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House DHS Budget Prioritizes Border Communities
Today, the House Appropriations Committee marked up its proposed FY21 spending bill.
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U.S. House Committee Passes Additional $2 Million for Right Whale Research
The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations passed the Fiscal Year 2021 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) bill out of committee with an additional $2 million toward protecting the imperiled North Atlantic right whale. The news was welcomed by scientists and environmental groups—including Defenders of Wildlife—who have advocated for greater federal investment to protect the right whale, of which fewer than 400 remain today.
jcovey@defenders.org
