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Piping Plover
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Sends Notice of Intent to Sue the Trump Administration over Rescission of ‘Harm’

Defenders of Wildlife today sent a letter to the Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce signaling its intent to sue over the administration’s rescission of the long-standing definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act.
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Pygmy Rabbit
Washington, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Raises Concerns Over Proposed BLM Rule That Would Roll Back Land Health and Grazing Safeguards

Defenders of Wildlife today submitted comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed livestock grazing regulations, urging that healthy public lands and robust public participation in land management must be a priority.
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Single manatee under water  swimming in the hot springs sanctuary in Florida
Washington, D.C.

Trump Administration Rescinds ‘Harm’ Definition, Defenders Prepares for Court

In a devastating blow to wildlife, the Trump administration today formally rescinded the regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act, eliminating the long-standing legal interpretation that habitat destruction that leads to death or injury of protected species is illegal.

Press Releases

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Desert-National-Wildlife-Refuge
Washington, DC

Department of Defense Legislation Proposes 1.1 Million Acre Takeover of National Wildlife Refuge for Military Training

The Washington Post reported today that the Department of Defense has developed legislation that would expand military control and use of more than two-thirds of Desert National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada for military training purposes.
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Mexican Gray Wolf
Albuquerque, N.M.

New Mexico State Game Commission Votes to Rejoin Wolf Recovery Program

The New Mexico State Game Commission voted today to rejoin the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program.
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Choptank River, MD
Charleston, SC

Conservation Groups Challenge Repeal of Clean Water Act Protections in Federal Court

Conservation groups today challenged in court the administration’s effort to strip away crucial clean water protections from rivers, lakes, streams and other waters that feed drinking-water sources for 200 million Americans and 32 million people in the South, or seven out of ten Southerners.
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Panther
St. Petersburg, FL

Statement on Deaths of Florida Panthers Suffering from Mystery Illness

Today, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced that the agency has confirmed neurological damage in one panther and one bobcat through necropsy.
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Juvenile chinook salmon
SACRAMENTO

Trump Administration Guts Endangered Species Act Protections for San Francisco Bay-Delta Fish

Today, USFWS and NMFS released new Endangered Species Act biological opinions for endangered salmon and other fish species in the San Francisco Bay-Delta.
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