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View of Pisgah National Forest through the trees
Asheville, N.C.

Federal court rules Forest Service unlawfully relied on flawed analysis to create Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan

In a major victory for the communities and wildlife that depend on North Carolina’s Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, the U.S. District Court for the
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Rice's Whale
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders Slams Unlawful God Squad Vote to Strip Endangered Species Act Protection from Wildlife in the Gulf

Defenders of Wildlife strongly opposes today’s vote by the Endangered Species Committee, or God Squad, to condemn species to extinction in the name of a fictitious “national security emergency.”
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Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge at sunset
Washington, D.C.

Court Victory for Florida Wetlands Protection

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled today that permits to build in wetlands should stay in the hands of

Press Releases

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Three Gray Wolves in the Snow
Portland, ORE.

Defenders of Wildlife Concerned By Oregon Wolf Population Stagnation as Poaching Increases

Today, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced that Oregon’s population of gray wolves saw a minimal increase from 175 wolves to 178. This concerning population stagnation is partially attributed to increased poaching incidents and state-sponsored lethal control efforts in response to livestock predations.
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North Atlantic Right Whales
Washington, DC

Defenders of Wildlife Urges Support for RESCUE Whales Act To Protect Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales

Introduced by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the bill would repeal a section of the FY2023 omnibus appropriations bill that significantly delays court-ordered regulatory action under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This is needed to help prevent the extinction of the North Atlantic right whale in the face of unsustainable lethal entanglements in the American lobster/Jonah crab fishery.
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lesser prairie chicken
Washington, DC

Defenders of Wildlife Opposes Congressional Attacks Seeking to Remove Lesser-Prairie Chicken and Northern Long-Eared Bat Protections

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a second hearing in as many months on bills sponsored by pro-extinction members attacking the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
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Gray Wolf Howling in Snow - Montana
SEATTLE, Wash.

Washington Wolf Population Expands Despite High Mortality

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced that the state’s endangered gray wolf population has increased by 5% after they found 216 wolves during their annual count. It also announced the formation of the state’s first reestablished wolf pack in the South Cascades.
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Red knots and horseshoe crabs
Charleston, S.C.

Limits on Horseshoe Crab Harvest Protect Threatened Shorebirds

Yesterday, the Southern Environmental Law Center, on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife and the Coastal Conservation League, obtained a major win for threatened red knots just as they come to South Carolina to feed on newly spawned horseshoe crab eggs.
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