Image
Trump Administration Advances Roadless Rule Repeal at the Expense of Wildlife, Clean Water and Public Will
The U.S. Department of Agriculture today released its proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement seeking to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a bedrock law that protects 45 million acres of national forests managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
Image
Judge Vacates Land Exchange, Halts Road Through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge
A federal judge today vacated an illegal closed-door deal between the U.S. Department of the Interior and a for-profit Alaska Native corporation, King Cove Corp., that exchanged a 10.5-mile corridor of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness lands to enable a road connecting King Cove and Cold Bay.
Image
Defenders Strongly Opposes USDA Proposal to Dismantle Long-Standing Protections for National Forests
The United States Department of Agriculture today announced that the U.S. Forest Service has filed a proposed rule to fully rescind the national 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule — a bedrock conservation policy that has protected nearly 45 million acres of undeveloped backcountry forests for over two decades.
Press Releases
Image
Oregon's Annual Wolf Count Reveals Increase in Packs, Decrease in Wolf-Livestock Conflicts
There are six new confirmed wolf packs in Oregon, according to the annual wolf report released Wednesday by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). The total wolf population was reported at a minimum of 158 wolves.
Image
Bureau of Land Management Moves Forward with Massive Oil and Gas Project During Pandemic
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is moving ahead with public hearings on the Willow project – a massive oil and gas development being pushed by ConocoPhillips – in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska.
Image
Proposed Renewable Energy Wind Project in the Southwest Reaches New Milestone
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a Final Environment Impact Statement (FEIS) on April 10, 2020, for the proposed Borderlands Wind project along the
Image
Conservation Groups Urge Congress to Protect Greater Sage-grouse
In a letter addressed to top House and Senate appropriators, Defenders of Wildlife along with 79 other groups are asking for the removal of an appropriations rider leftover from previous years prohibiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) from considering greater sage-grouse for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Image
Lawsuit Filed to Protect Imperiled Gulf and Mississippi River Species from Bonnet Carré Spillway Impacts
Defenders of Wildlife and Healthy Gulf (formerly Gulf Restoration Network) filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of Mississippi against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Mississippi River Commission for violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to consult with federal wildlife agencies on the consequences of opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway on numerous endangered and threatened species.
jcovey@defenders.org
