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Florida panther
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Submits Technical Comments and Over 8,400 Public Comments in Efforts to Stop Harmful ESA Proposals

Defenders of Wildlife today submitted its technical comments opposing the Trump administration’s proposals to weaken the Endangered Species Act’s implementing regulations.
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black-footed ferret at the nat'l black-footed ferret conservation center
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Slams SPEED Act as it Speeds Toward Habitat Destruction

Defenders of Wildlife condemns Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) SPEED ACT, H.R. 4776 the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, ahead of Thursday’s expected floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Roaming mountain goat
Washington, D.C.

ESA Amendments Act Poses a Historic Threat to America’s Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife remains on high alert as it braces for the House Natural Resources Committee’s full markup of Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) Endangered Species Amendments Act of 2025. More aptly labeled the Extinction Act, the bill seeks to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, stripping away decades of crucial protections for America’s wildlife and their habitats.

Press Releases

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Sandhill Crane in California
SACRAMENTO, CA

Defenders of Wildlife Opposes Governor Newsom's Latest Bill Package, Citing Concerns for Imperiled Wildlife and Lack of Public Engagement

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a surprise package of “budget trailer bills” late last week designed to limit permitting requirements for contentious projects such as the Delta Conveyance Project and Sites Reservoir. Newsom’s proposal encompasses various topics intended to streamline California’s infrastructure development but, in the process, undermines bedrock environmental laws that protect imperiled wildlife.
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Tracy Davids and Heather Clarkson stand behind a Defenders of Wildlife table under a blue tent outside.
Charlotte, North Carolina

Defenders of Wildlife Celebrates Red Wolf Conservation on Endangered Species Day

Defenders of Wildlife staff joined communities from the Charlotte, North Carolina region on May 20 to celebrate and contribute to Red Wolf conservation in honor of Endangered Species Day.
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By Susan Silverman
SACRAMENTO, CA

Offshore Wind Development and California Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife’s California Representative, Andrew Johnson, testified before the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture in the California Legislature on May 17. Following the
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Anchorage, AK

Biden Administration Announces New Environmental Review of Possible Road Through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

The Department of the Interior issued a Notice of Intent today to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to reassess options for travel between King Cove and Cold Bay, Alaska, near the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. Past road proposals cut through the designated wilderness and the refuge’s internationally recognized ecological habitat.
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Wild Red Wolf Puppies, 2023
East Lake, NC

New Litter of Red Wolf Pups Born in the Wild

The Red Wolf Recovery Program this week announced the birth of a new litter of wild Red Wolf puppies, three females and two males. These pups, along with a cross-fostered male pup born at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, will join the Milltail Pack in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern North Carolina bringing the pack numbers to 13 wolves.
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
jpetrequin@defenders.org
(202) 772-0243
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268