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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
Charges Brought in Illegal Shooting of Mexican Wolf
PHOENIX, Ariz. (September 28, 2018) – Preliminary hearings for the illegal killing of an endangered Mexican gray wolf are set to begin today in Arizona
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REPORT: The Trump Administration’s Assault on Wildlife Conservation
The Trump administration has mounted an unprecedented assault on our wildlife and wild lands, according to a new report released today by Defenders of Wildlife
House Committee Hearing on Expansive Wildlife Extinction Package
Today, the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on an expansive anti-wildlife package of bills that would weaken the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
H.R. 6784 Strips Protections from Endangered Gray Wolves
On the same day it is holding a congressional hearing on an extinction package that would cripple endangered species protections, the House Natural Resources Committee
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Caution Needed Over Latest Survey Results of the Southern Sea Otter Population
According to the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) 2018 spring survey of the southern sea otter population published today, sea otter numbers have declined off the coast of California since peaking in 2016, but the average population count remains above 3,090 for the third consecutive year.
jcovey@defenders.org
