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Miles Ritter
Salem, OR

Oregon Approves Conservation Plans for Orcas

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to approve three Endangered Species Management Plans for Southern Resident Orcas, completing the listing process initiated by
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Red Wolf pups cuddle together in a den
Raleigh, N.C.

New Red Wolf Pups Spark Celebration

The Red Wolf Recovery Program in North Carolina has confirmed the birth of four wild litters of Red Wolf pups on the Albemarle Peninsula, home
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USFWS DevilsHolePupfish

Defenders Celebrates as Mining Company Signals Intent to Leave Ash Meadows

A Canadian mining company with intent to mine lithium near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge appears to have walked away from the project. Defenders of

Press Releases

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Okefenokee kayaking
Washington, D.C.

Lawsuit Challenges Army Corps Decision Imperiling Wetlands Near Okefenokee Swamp

On behalf of Defenders of Wildlife and three other conservation groups, the Southern Environmental Law Center today challenged in federal court a decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to unlawfully reinstate jurisdictional determinations that removed Clean Water Act protections from almost 600 acres of wetlands on the doorstep of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
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Caribou on tundra in NPR-A
Anchorage, AK

Preserving Vital Habitat in Alaska's Western Arctic

Alaska's western Arctic encompasses a vast, wild stretch of land called the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska. At 23 million acres it is the largest single unit of public land in the nation. That's about the same size as the entire state of Indiana! Learn more from our new ArcGIS StoryMap.
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Emerald Glass Frog on Branch - Costa Rica
PANAMA CITY, Panama

Defenders of Wildlife Calls for Countries to Support CITES Protections for Wildlife Amidst Biodiversity Crisis

Defenders of Wildlife’s team of international lawyers are attending the 19th Conference of the Parties (COP 19) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to support countries seeking increased trade regulations for imperiled species.
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Fall colors in Izembek wilderness
Anchorage, AK

Court to Revisit Decision to Develop Road Through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will revisit a decision that upheld a land exchange that would make way for a road that would run through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. On November 10, the court threw out the Trump-era decision and ordered a rehearing of the case.
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Shortfin mako
Washington, D.C.

Shortfin Mako Denied Federal Protections

The highly imperiled shortfin mako shark is being denied federal protection by NOAA Fisheries, which will release its 12-month review of the species this week. In the Federal Register, NOAA Fisheries stated that a listing under the federal Endangered Species Act is ‘not warranted.’ In June 2022, Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity threatened to sue the agency for failing to meet its statutory deadline to make this decision.
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