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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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Right Whale Vessel Strike Protections Sought by Nov. 1
Conservation groups this week asked a federal judge to set a Nov. 1 deadline for long-delayed federal action to finalize expanded vessel strike protections for
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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
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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.
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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
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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
jcovey@defenders.org
