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swimming manta rays
Fort Myers, FL

Defenders of Wildlife Applauds Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for Tightening Protections for Listed Species

Defenders of Wildlife welcomes today’s action by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to end open permitting for the capture of ESA-threatened marine species in Florida waters for public display and exhibition purposes.
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NARW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Legal Intervention Aims to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales From Deadly Ship Strikes

Conservation groups today filed a motion to intervene to help fight a lawsuit aimed at overturning a seasonal speed rule protecting North Atlantic right whales from deadly vessel strikes. The groups want to defend the rule against a lawsuit brought by a New York vessel owner fined for violating seasonal speed limits. The suit alleges that NOAA Fisheries lacked the statutory authority to issue the rule.
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greater sage grouse
Washington, D.C.

Final Rescission of Public Lands Rule Reverses Modern Land Management, Threatens Wildlife Habitat

The Bureau of Land Management today announced a decision to roll back the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule. The policy modernized how BLM manages our national public lands and represented the critical incorporation of ecological resilience into management alongside traditional resource extraction.

Press Releases

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Onahu Creek Trail - Rocky Mountain National Park
Washington, DC

Speak up for national forests

As the Obama administration sets out to determine the future for the 193-million-acre National Forest System, a coalition of conservation organizations is calling on people to make their voices heard.
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California Tiger Salamander
Doha, Qatar

Amphibians in pet trade win protections at CITES meeting

Five frog species and an Iranian salamander will be protected from unsustainable international trade thanks to a decision by the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora (CITES).
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California spotted owl
Sacramento, CA

California Governor gives "fast-tracked" renewable energy projects a jumpstart today

As part of an interim conservation strategy, the law requires the Department of Fish and Game to identify new places in the desert to protect that mitigate for the impacts any approved “fast-tracked” renewable energy projects may have on California’s lands, water and wildlife.
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Polar Bear
Anchorage, AK

New safeguards for polar bears voted down at CITES meeting

Defenders of Wildlife expressed its disappointment today over the decision by the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) not to give greater protection to the polar bear. The following is a statement by Peter Jenkins, Defenders’ Director of International Conservation.
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Pacific walrus
Washington, DC

Administration recognizes need for unified climate change adaptation strategy

Today, the White House released a report detailing the progress of the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force. The report emphasized the need for a unified course of action on climate change adaptation, recommending key components to a national strategy.
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