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2019.08.07 - Florida Panther looking straight at camera - MS 45 - fStop Foundation
WASHINGTON, D.C.

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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A close up of the face of a Sierra Nevada Red Fox at the edge of a forest in Deschutes County, Oregon.
Washington, D.C.

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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Three sea otters float in the water. There are hills or mountains in the distance in the background.

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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Wolf from Wapiti Pack walks through Hayden Valley
Washington, DC

Defenders of Wildlife Raises a Rallying Howl for Wolf Awareness Week

Defenders of Wildlife founded national Wolf Awareness Week in 1996 to drive meaningful conversations about wolves’ ecological importance and why they deserve to be protected
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Porcupine Caribou move across a snowy plain on the East Fork of the Chandalar River
Washington, DC

Defenders Celebrates Refuge System’s Legacy of Species Protection and Outdoor Access

With close to 1 billion acres of protected lands and waters providing habitat for thousands of species and unrivaled outdoor recreational access for millions of Americans, Defenders of Wildlife is celebrating the remarkable legacy of the National Wildlife Refuge System today as we kick off National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 8-14.
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-Marsh in Doty Ravine
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

Newsom Signs 30x30 Law, Committing California to Biodiverse Future

Defenders of Wildlife applauds California Gov. Gavin Newsom for signing into law State Senate Bill 337 — a measure that commits to conserving 30% of
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Dr. Leah Gerber Award
Washington, DC

Defenders Recognizes Dr. Leah Gerber with Spirit of Defenders Award for Science

Defenders of Wildlife has awarded Dr. Leah Gerber, one of the world’s leading conservation scientists, with its Spirit of Defenders Award for Science. “We are
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2020.02.26 - Chinook Salmon - Spawing in Fall - Pacific Northwest - Ryan Hagerty-USFWS
Washington. DC

Biden Administration Recommits to Tribal Treaties, Endangered Salmon Restoration

Defenders of Wildlife applauds the Biden administration for its release of a presidential memo calling for federal agencies to take swift action to restore salmon populations across the Columbia and Snake River Basin.
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
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268
Communications Specialist
estern@defenders.org
202-772-0243