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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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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.
Press Releases
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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.
Broad Coalition Submitted More Than 800,000 Comments Opposing Trump’s Plan to Weaken the Endangered Species Act Regulations
Today, a broad coalition formally submitted more than 500,000 public comments bringing the total to more than 800,000 comments opposing proposed changes to the regulations
230+ Groups Oppose Trump Administration Plan to Cripple Endangered Species Act
More than 200 conservation and animal-welfare organizations today urged Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in a letter to withdraw three dangerous proposals that would undermine the
Study Reveals Best Available Science for Predator-Livestock Coexistence
A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Biology reveals certain nonlethal methods are effective for managing predators in agricultural landscapes. Twenty-one authors from
Oregon Denies Protection for Gravely Imperiled Humboldt Martens
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to deny state Endangered Species Act protection to the fewer than 200 Humboldt martens estimated to remain
jcovey@defenders.org
