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A Transient orca jumps out of the water, making an arch with its body. It's back half and tail are almost completely covered with a white wave, splash.
Salem, OR

Defenders and Partners Urge Oregon State Action on Wildlife Conservation Bill as Two Senators Block Bipartisan Effort

A landmark bill to fund wildlife conservation in Oregon is being held up in the State Senate, despite passing the House with strong bipartisan support and clearing Senate Rules.
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elk landscape
Washington, D.C.

New Assault on Public Lands Betrays Will of American People

Defenders of Wildlife slammed Senator Mike Lee’s (R-UT) most recent attempt to sell off our nation’s public lands through a provision in the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill for what it is – a brazen betrayal of the will of the American people.
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2020.03.24 - Alligator - Okefenokee Swamp - Okefenokee Wilderness Area - Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge - Michael Lusk.jpg
ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Defenders Celebrates Land Acquisition Deal Protecting Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from Threat of Mining

Defenders of Wildlife celebrates The Conservation Fund’s acquisition of the properties owned by Twin Pines Minerals, LLC, a company seeking to mine adjacent to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the largest refuge east of the Mississippi River.

Press Releases

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Mexican Gray Wolf stare
Santa Fe, NM

Defenders of Wildlife Disappointed by Revised Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Plan

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a final revised recovery plan for the Mexican gray wolf. The Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan, Second Revision (final revised recovery plan), provides new site-specific recovery actions to improve protections for Mexican wolves in the wild. Defenders of Wildlife is disappointed that the revised plan likely won't be enough to curb the number of human-caused deaths.
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Sleepy Brown Bear Family - Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge - Alaska
Anchorage, AK

Court Finds Cruel Practice of Killing Wolf Pups and Bear Cubs on Alaska’s National Preserves ‘Arbitrary’

A federal District Court in Alaska ruled on Sept. 30 that a National Park Service rule allowing hunting practices like killing brown bear sows and cubs in their dens on national preserves in Alaska was poorly reasoned and arbitrary. The decision allows the rule to remain in place while the Interior Department and Park Service revise regulations.
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At least five Atlantic Sturgeon swim along the bottom of the water body. Light filters in from the water's surface.
Chapel Hill, N.C.

Conservation Groups Win Lawsuit Challenging Elimination of Critical North Carolina Protections for Sea Turtles and Fish

In a new ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Cape Fear River Watch, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, and Defenders of Wildlife, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, succeeded in challenging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ unjustified decision to eliminate the agency’s longstanding practice of limiting hopper dredging at Wilmington and Morehead City Harbors to winter months.
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Pipeline cutting across landscape
Washington, DC

Defenders Applauds Exclusion of Manchin’s “Dirty Deal” from Government Funding Bill

After heavy pushback from Defenders of Wildlife and many other environmental groups, a broad spectrum of nonprofits, frontline communities, and members of Congress, Senate leaders announced that the permitting agreement championed by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), coined the “Dirty Deal,” will not be attached to the upcoming government funding bill.
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Swift foxes
Harlem, Mont.

Successful Swift Fox Reintroduction Program at Fort Belknap Celebrates Third Year

With the release of 25 swift foxes planned later this week, the Fort Belknap Indian Community celebrated the third year of its swift fox recovery program. The reintroduction program has, so far, returned 103 swift foxes to Tribal lands and monitoring show that the foxes are reproducing in the wild, a critical measure of success for a self-sustaining population.
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
zklein@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268