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A close up of the face of a Sierra Nevada Red Fox at the edge of a forest in Deschutes County, Oregon.
Washington, D.C.

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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Three sea otters float in the water. There are hills or mountains in the distance in the background.

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.
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sea otter eye contact, CA

Rooted in Resilience: Sea Otter Awareness Week Returns for its 24th Year

Sea Otter Awareness Week is sponsored and organized by Defenders of Wildlife, Sea Otter Savvy, California State Parks, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Elakha Alliance and The Marine Mammal Center. Learn more about sea otters during Sea Otter Awareness Week at upcoming in-person and virtual events in California and Oregon.

Press Releases

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Mexican_gray_wolf

Three More Mexican Gray Wolves Killed

Two of the Mexican gray wolf deaths are now under investigation by wildlife officials, as reported last month.
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Sea otter family in Morro Bay California
Monterey, Calif.

Report on Expert Opinion Confirms Southern Sea Otter Remains Threatened with Extinction and in Need of Full Protection

Today, Friends of the Sea Otter (FSO) released the report, Roadmap: Recovery of the Southern Sea Otter.
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Gray Wolf - Denali National Park - Alaska
Washington, DC

In a Win for Wildlife, Appropriations Committee Passes Nonlethal Funding

The House Appropriations Committee marked up and passed language out of committee today that would secure critical funding for reducing human-wildlife conflicts in the fiscal year 2021 appropriations package.
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North atlantic right whale
Gland, Switzerland

IUCN: North Atlantic Right Whale Now “Critically Endangered”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced today that it is changing the status of the North Atlantic right whale from “endangered” to “critically endangered” on its Red List of Threatened Species, recognizing that the species faces an extremely high risk of extinction. The IUCN Red List is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of species.
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Grizzly bear sow Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone National Park
Sedro-Woolley, Wash.

Trump Administration Abandons Federal Process for Grizzly Restoration in North Cascades

The Trump administration today announced its decision to terminate the public process regarding re-introducing grizzly bears back into the North Cascades Ecosystem of Washington state. This decision was reported by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhardt despite public input and science, denying grizzlies access to their historic range.
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