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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
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Defenders Awarded Wildlife Conservation Grant from Foxwynd Foundation
Defenders of Wildlife and the Foxwynd Foundation today announce a partnership in wildlife conservation through a generous donation provided by the Foxwynd Foundation's Donor Advised Fund.
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Defenders 'Disappointed’ by Downlisting of Red Cockaded Woodpecker
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today downlisted the red-cockaded woodpecker from endangered to threatened status under the Endangered Species Act, a decision conservation groups
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Defenders to Sue Over Failure to Protect Habitat for One of Nation’s Rarest Mammals
Defenders of Wildlife today notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that it intends to sue over its failure to designate critical habitat for an
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Defenders: Latest Right Whale Population Estimate Shows More to be Done
The North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium via NOAA Fisheries today updated the estimated population of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. The new estimate is
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Fisheries Commission Rejects Delaware Bay Female Horseshoe Crab Harvest Proposal
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission ( ASMFC) decided against allowing a bait harvest of female horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay in 2025, maintaining a
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