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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 and calf
New York, NY

Recertification of Lobster Fishery Would Harm Right Whales, Mislead Consumers 

Defenders and other conservation groups acted today to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale by formally objecting to a determination that the Gulf of Maine lobster fishery should be recertified to the Marine Stewardship Council sustainability standard.
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Sea otters
Washington, DC

Defenders Applauds Significant Increases for Endangered Species, Wildlife Refuges in Initial Interior Appropriations Bill

Defenders of Wildlife is encouraged to see significant investments made towards addressing the biodiversity crisis in the first version of the House Interior and Environment appropriations bill—released yesterday—which if passed would take key programs to their highest funding levels ever.
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Black-footed ferret, National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center
Washington, DC

New Defenders of Wildlife Report Shows Funding is Key to Recovering Endangered Species

Today Defenders of Wildlife published a new in-depth report, T ackling the Extinction Crisis: Increasing Appropriations to the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land
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Hickory Nut Gorge Green Salamander on rock
Bat Cave, NC

Conservation Groups Demand Endangered Species Protections for Hickory Nut Gorge Green Salamander

Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to protect the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamanders under the Endangered Species Act.
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SpaceX publich road with wildlife crossing sign, SpaceX Launch Site
Brownsville, Texas

Defenders of Wildlife Chides FAA Failure to Conduct EIS for SpaceX Launch Site

Defenders of Wildlife Senior Texas Representative Dr. Sharon Wilcox issued the following statement in response to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announcement today that the
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