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NPS Land Swaps and Visitor Plan Open the Door to Devastating Impacts at Cumberland Island
In advance of a public hearing on proposed land exchanges on Cumberland Island National Seashore, Defenders of Wildlife called on the National Park Service to remedy a host of management issues facing one of the largest undeveloped barrier islands on the East Coast.
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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.
Press Releases
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39 Diverse Groups Launch Coalition For Clean Energy and Healthy Communities
Today, 39 diverse organizations ranging from environmental, to public health, to faith-based groups are launching the Coalition for Clean Energy and Healthy Communities (CCEHC).
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New Land Management Legislation Could Harm Imperiled Wildlife
New legislation, introduced today by Sen. Daines (R-Mont.), would allow the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to skip the important process of reinitiating consultation on the effect of their land management plans, even when new information indicating potential harms to listed species.
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104 Yellowstone Bison Relocated to Fort Peck Reservation
Today, Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux leaders and Defenders of Wildlife transferred 11 more bison from Yellowstone National Park to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. After today, 104 bison will have been successfully transferred to the reservation. This is the fourth relocation since April 2019 under a new program that diverts disease-free Yellowstone bison from slaughter to tribal-led restoration efforts.
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New Study Shows Wildlife Trade is a Major Threat to Biodiversity in the Americas
More than 1,500 wildlife species are threatened or near threatened with extinction in Mesoamerica, according to a new study published today in Cambridge University Press.
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Infrastructure Package Includes Important Wins for Wildlife
The U.S House of Representatives released today its infrastructure bill, the Moving Forward Act. The plan advances The Invest in America Act, recently approved by the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
jcovey@defenders.org
