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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

Senate Energy Committee Approves Destructive Arctic Drilling Legislation

Today the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved reconciliation legislation from Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) that would open the coastal plain of the Arctic

Forest Service Cuts Back Costly Wrangell Island Timber Sale

The Forest Service is downsizing the latest old-growth clearcut on the Tongass National Forest in response to market realities. The Wrangell Island timber sale is

Defenders of Wildlife Report Reveals Toxic Threat to Orcas

Defenders of Wildlife released a report today revealing multiple threats to Southern Resident orcas from pollution in the Salish Sea. These orcas are some of

LEGISLATION OPENS PRISTINE ARCTIC REFUGE TO DESTRUCTIVE OIL DRILLING

Last night, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislative language that would allow destructive oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, making fossil fuel development

New DOI Committee Promotes Trophy Hunting, Not Wildlife Conservation

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is establishing a so-called International Wildlife Conservation Council within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The council will
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