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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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Environmental Coalition Urges California Governor to Maintain Water Quality Regulations During COVID-19 Crisis
Following last week’s sweeping announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it will suspend enforcement of environmental protection laws due to the current COVID-19 crisis, California environmental groups urge Governor Newsom not to follow the federal government’s lead.
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Trump Administration Moves Ahead with Oil and Gas Drilling on Public Lands and Waters
Last week, the Trump administration moved forward with a 78 million acre lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico. This rush to drill comes right before the 10th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster that occurred on April 20, 2010.
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Conservation Groups Petition for Stronger Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise Protections
Today, Defenders of Wildlife, along with the Desert Tortoise Council and Desert Tortoise Preserve Committee, submitted a petition to the California Fish and Game Commission to change the listing status of Agassiz’s desert tortoise from threatened to endangered.
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6 Ways We’re Defending Wildlife During a National Emergency
6 Ways We’re Defending Wildlife During a National Emergency As the world is “social distancing” amid a global pandemic, Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19), and communities across
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Trump Administration Proposes Allowing GE Crops on Thousands of Acres of National Wildlife Refuges
The Trump administration has proposed to approve genetically engineered crops on national wildlife refuges throughout the southeastern United States, a step likely to increase use of glyphosate and other pesticides known to harm wildlife.
jcovey@defenders.org
