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Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle is on his way home after being released from a cold-stun rehab center.
New Orleans, LA

Defenders Celebrates U.S. Appeals Court Ruling to Protect Imperiled Sea Turtles from Drowning in Fishing Nets

A federal appeals court upheld the rule requiring shrimp trawling vessels to use turtle excluder devices so that sea turtles can avoid getting caught in nets.
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pale gray north atlantic right whale swimming in dark blue ocean with an entangled string wrapped around the top of its head and seen underneath it's lower body
Washington, DC

House Gambles with Survival for North Atlantic Right Whales in Latest Vote to Delay Protections

The House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 9436, a bill that will delay conservation protections for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.
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 Izembek National Wildlife Refuge - Izembek Volcanoe
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

District Court Okays Bulldozing a Road to the Doorstep of Izembek Wilderness

A federal district court in Alaska today allowed construction to begin on a 2.8-mile road segment on KCC lands to connect to a 10.5-mile road within Izembek.

Press Releases

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Border wall javelina
Washington, DC

Injunction Sought to Halt Trump’s Wall in Arizona

Conservation groups today asked a federal court to block construction of President Donald Trump’s border wall through protected wilderness in Arizona until a judge rules on a pending lawsuit.
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Giant Manta Ray
Washington, DC

Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration’s Failure to Protect Atlantic Sharks, Giant Manta Rays From Lethal Fishing Gear

Today, on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice sued the Trump administration today for failing to protect oceanic whitetip sharks and giant manta rays from being captured and killed in U.S. fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
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Southern_Resident_Orca
Washington, DC

New research shows effectiveness of laws for protecting imperiled species, remaining gaps

New research from the Center for Conservation Innovation (CCI) at Defenders of Wildlife, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows for the first time the importance of expert agencies to protecting imperiled species.
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Jaguar
Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Defenders of Wildlife Attends International Workshop on Jaguar Conservation

The Plurinational government of Bolivia last week hosted the First International workshop to combat the illegal trade of jaguars. Participants included Interpol, UNODC, CITES, various government representatives of jaguar range states and conservation groups, including Defenders of Wildlife.
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Grizzly bear sow Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone National Park
Sedro-Wooley, WA

National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Extend Public Comment Period for North Cascades Grizzly Environmental Impact Statement  

The National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) today announced the reopening of the public comment period for the draft North Cascades Grizzly Bear Restoration Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) regarding restoring grizzly bears to their historic range in the North Cascades Ecosystem. The 90-day extension begins Friday and will close on October 24, 2019.
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