Image
Florida panther
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Submits Technical Comments and Over 8,400 Public Comments in Efforts to Stop Harmful ESA Proposals

Defenders of Wildlife today submitted its technical comments opposing the Trump administration’s proposals to weaken the Endangered Species Act’s implementing regulations.
Image
black-footed ferret at the nat'l black-footed ferret conservation center
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Slams SPEED Act as it Speeds Toward Habitat Destruction

Defenders of Wildlife condemns Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) SPEED ACT, H.R. 4776 the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, ahead of Thursday’s expected floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Image
Roaming mountain goat
Washington, D.C.

ESA Amendments Act Poses a Historic Threat to America’s Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife remains on high alert as it braces for the House Natural Resources Committee’s full markup of Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) Endangered Species Amendments Act of 2025. More aptly labeled the Extinction Act, the bill seeks to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, stripping away decades of crucial protections for America’s wildlife and their habitats.

Press Releases

Image
2023.08.10 - © Jennifer Kardiak-USDA Forest Service.jpg

National Park Service Restores Protection for Predators in Alaska National Preserves

The National Park Service released new regulations that restore protections for predators on national preserves in Alaska. This is a reversal of a Trump administration
Image
Gray Wolf Stare
Washington, DC

Defenders Statement on ‘Hatchet Job’ House Interior Appropriations Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations’ Interior and Environment Subcommittee today released its appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year. The bill is riddled with an immense number of riders that severely undermine the lifesaving protections of the Endangered Species Act. It also rolls back key advances made during the Biden administration towards addressing the biodiversity and climate crises.
Image
NARW
Washington, DC

Defenders: Bill Would Push Critically Endangered Right Whales to Brink of Extinction

On Thursday, the Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources is considering H.R. 8704, a bill that would push the
Image
A Mountain Landscape, featuring Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina
Asheville, NC

Forest Service Abandons Plans to Log Sensitive Area of Nantahala National Forest

In response to a lawsuit from a coalition of conservation groups, the U.S. Forest Service announced it is scrapping plans to log an important area
Image
Sequoia Trees in the Sierra National Forest
Washington, DC

Defenders of Wildlife Opposes Bill Removing Key Protections from Millions of Acres of Public Forests

In advance of its markup by the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, Defenders of Wildlife urges lawmakers to oppose H.R. 8790, the misleadingly named “Fix our Forests Act.” The bill is sponsored by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA).
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
jpetrequin@defenders.org
(202) 772-0243
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268