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manatee
St. Petersburg, Fl.

Florida Manatees to Receive Nearly 2 Million Acres of Revised Protected Habitat

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday proposed a revised critical habitat plan that would protect 1,904,191 acres of critical habitat for the Florida
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Red Knots and Horseshoe Crabs
CHARLESTON, SC

Defenders of Wildlife Statement on Dismissal of Challenge to Cape Romain Refuge Management

Defenders of Wildlife celebrates today the dismissal of a challenge by the state of South Carolina to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s authority to
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Baby Green Sea Turtles on the beach
Washington, DC

More Than 80 Conservation Groups Call on Members of Congress To Oppose New House Bill Targeting Endangered Species Act

More than 80 conservation groups representing millions of Americans are calling on members of Congress to oppose a new bill (H.R. 9533) targeting the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The “ESA Amendments Act of 2024,” which House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) is proposing, would dramatically weaken the bedrock environmental law by decreasing protections for threatened and endangered species and rewriting key portions of it.

Press Releases

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Washington, D.C.

Northern Long-Eared Bat Listed as ‘Endangered’

Defenders of Wildlife applauds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) listing of the northern long-eared bat as an endangered species, a hard-won reclassification from threatened, under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).
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Kemp's ridley sea turtle in Sargassum, South Padre Island, Texas

Defenders and Healthy Gulf Prevail in Court Case to Protect Imperiled Gulf and Mississippi River Species from Bonnet Carré Spillway Impacts

Defenders of Wildlife and Healthy Gulf won a critical victory for imperiled wildlife in and around the Gulf of Mexico when a district court ruled last night that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and NOAA Fisheries must engage in a prospective Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation for the threatened and endangered species and critical habitat that are affected by Bonnet Carré Spillway openings.
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Powdered Glass Frog - Panama
PANAMA CITY, Panama

Glass Frog Proposal Moves Forward To Full Adoption at CITES After Overwhelming Support

Today, in a late-night session the proposal to list all 158 species of glass frogs on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was adopted by consensus after the European Union decided it would not block the proposal in the face of overwhelming support. The proposal was led by fourteen countries, including the host country Panama, Costa Rica, and the U.S.
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Caribbean Reef Shark Swimming over Ocean Floor - Bahamas
PANAMA CITY, Panama

CITES Proposals for Endangered Sharks Pass First Hurdle at COP19

In a monumental step for marine conservation, two proposals to protect 60 sharks passed the first hurdle towards protection by the 19th Conference of the Parties (CoP19) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
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Washington, D.C.

Lesser Prairie-Chicken Gets Federal Protections

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is listing the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Southern DPS of the lesser prairie-chicken is being listed as endangered. The Northern DPS of the lesser prairie-chicken is being listed as threatened, although Defenders petitioned for it to be endangered, which would provide it stronger protections.
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
hhammer@defenders.org
(202) 772-0295
Communications Specialist
jpetrequin@defenders.org
(202) 772-0243