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Salt Marsh - Cumberland Island
ST. MARYS, GEORGIA

NPS Land Swaps and Visitor Plan Open the Door to Devastating Impacts 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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2019.08.07 - Florida Panther looking straight at camera - MS 45 - fStop Foundation
WASHINGTON, D.C.

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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A close up of the face of a Sierra Nevada Red Fox at the edge of a forest in Deschutes County, Oregon.
Washington, D.C.

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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lesser prairie chicken in field
Washington, DC

Lawsuit Launched to Protect Imperiled Lesser Prairie Chicken

Conservation groups filed a notice today of their intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to protect severely imperiled lesser prairie chickens under the Endangered Species Act.
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Denali Reflection Pond
Washington, DC

Congress Passes Controversial Legislation to Privatize Public Lands 

The federal public lands package also reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
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Mexican_gray_wolf
Albuquerque, NM

Four Endangered Mexican Wolves Caught in Traps on U.S. Forest Service Lands in New Mexico in Last Two Months

Defenders of Wildlife has learned that four more Mexican gray wolves were trapped in New Mexico on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service over the last two months. The four endangered wolves included a breeding-age female that died and a male that was taken into captivity only to have his injured leg amputated. These two wolves are from the Prieto Pack.
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Hill Country State Natural Area in Bandera County
Austin, TX

Texas Judge Upholds Endangered Species Act Protections for Golden-cheeked Warbler

A federal judge in Austin yesterday ruled that the golden-cheeked warbler should remain protected under the Endangered Species Act. The Texas songbird is severely threatened by rampant urban sprawl.
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Bald eagle
Washington, DC

Statement from Jamie Rappaport Clark, CEO and president, Defenders of Wildlife on the passing of former Representative John Dingell

“A ferocious, tireless and skillful advocate for wildlife, John Dingell leaves an enduring legacy of groundbreaking protections for the nation’s endangered species, national wildlife refuges and many other aspects of our natural world."
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