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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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FWS Proposes to List the Critically Endangered Sierra Nevada Red Fox
In a positive development for the Sierra Nevada red fox, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced this week its proposal to list the species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
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Days-Old North Atlantic Right Whale Calf Struck by Ship
The fourth North Atlantic right whale calf born this season has already been severely wounded. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced Thursday morning that the calf had two “parallel and s-shaped” injuries along its body, consistent with wounds caused by boat propellers.
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New App Tracks State-specific Endangered Species Protections
For more than 45 years, the U.S. federal government has played a critical roel in protecting endangered and threatened species through the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
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Trump Administration Removes Climate Change from NEPA Planning Process
The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced proposed regulatory changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
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Congress Acts to Restore Vital Protections for Migratory Birds
WASHINGTON (January 8, 2019) – Today Representative Lowenthal (D-CA) with 18 bipartisan original co-sponsors introduced the Migratory Bird Protection Act (H.R. 5552) to restore longstanding
jcovey@defenders.org
