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NPS Land Swaps and Visitor Plan Opens the Door to Devastating Impacts on Imperiled Wildlife 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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Five Bills Securing Critical Environmental Protections Pass House Committee
The House Natural Resource Committee worked to pass five pieces of legislation (H.R. 4348, H.R. 2748, H.R. 2795, H.R. 5179 and H.R. 2956) that aim to address climate change, protect our nation’s precious wildlife and lands as well as establish a new National Wildlife Refuge.
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Court: Northern Long-eared Bat Was Unlawfully Denied Endangered Species Protection
A federal judge on Tuesday overturned a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect northern long-eared bats as threatened rather than endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
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Defenders of Wildlife, Pollinator Petitioners Seek to Join Lawsuit to Protect Four CA Bee Species
Pollinator Petitioners are seeking to join in litigation to defend the Fish and Game Commission from a challenge contending that California Native Bees cannot be listed under CESA.
Groups Threaten Lawsuit to Protect Imperiled Gulf and Mississippi River Species from Bonnet Carré Spillway Impacts
Today, Defenders of Wildlife and Healthy Gulf (formerly Gulf Restoration Network) posted notice of their intent to sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Mississippi River Commission for violations of the Endangered Species Act in failing to consult with federal wildlife agencies on the consequences of opening the Bonnet Carré Spillway on numerous endangered and threatened species.
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Statement on State Senator Donovan’s Wolf Reintroduction Bill
“While we’re encouraged by Senator Donovan’s bill to reintroduce wolves to Colorado, we cannot support the bill as it stands. The bill would prohibit reintroduction unless new funding is made available, meaning this critical effort could be held hostage. We look forward to working with Senator Donovan and suggesting changes to address these concerns.”
jcovey@defenders.org
