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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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North atlantic right whale
Washington, DC

Court: Federal Failure to Protect Right Whales from Deadly Entanglements Violates Law

A federal court ruled in favor of the Center for Biological Diversity, Conservation Law Foundation, and Defenders of Wildlife in a long-running case challenging NOAA Fisheries’ failure to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from deadly entanglements in American lobster fishing gear.
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Red knots and horseshoe crabs
Cape May, NJ

Delaware Bay Red Knot Shorebird Numbers Remain Historically Low Despite Modest Increase

The Delaware Bay Shorebird Project, which has assessed shorebird numbers in the region for 26 years, found that the threatened red knot shorebird’s numbers remained at historically low levels in 2022.
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Bald eagle on a log
Washington, DC

Federal Court Restores Critical Endangered Species Act Protections

Today, in a win for wildlife protection and conservation, a federal district court restored comprehensive Endangered Species Act regulatory protections to hundreds of species.
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Carbon emissions from chimneys
Washington, DC

Supreme Court Guts Clean Air Act

In the case of West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 today to significantly narrow the scope of the Clean Air Act, causing a major setback for President Biden’s plan to rein in greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fuel-burning powerplants.
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Shortfin mako shark
Washington, DC

Lawsuit Launched Over Federal Failure to Protect Shortfin Mako Shark as Endangered or Threatened Species

Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity sent a notice today of their intent to sue NOAA Fisheries for its failure to protect the shortfin mako shark under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
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