Newsroom

St. Petersburg, Fl.

September 23, 2024

Florida Manatees to Receive Nearly 2 Million Acres of Revised Protected Habitat

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday proposed a revised critical habitat plan that would protect 1,904,191 acres of critical habitat for the Florida

CHARLESTON, SC

September 18, 2024

Defenders of Wildlife Statement on Dismissal of Challenge to Cape Romain Refuge Management

Defenders of Wildlife celebrates today the dismissal of a challenge by the state of South Carolina to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s authority to

Washington, DC

September 18, 2024

More Than 80 Conservation Groups Call on Members of Congress To Oppose New House Bill Targeting Endangered Species Act

More than 80 conservation groups representing millions of Americans are calling on members of Congress to oppose a new bill (H.R. 9533) targeting the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The “ESA Amendments Act of 2024,” which House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) is proposing, would dramatically weaken the bedrock environmental law by decreasing protections for threatened and endangered species and rewriting key portions of it.

Press Releases

Black bears on rocks above Anan Creek Tongass NF

Anchorage, AK

November 19, 2021

Defenders Applauds Biden Administration’s Move to Protect Roadless Areas in Tongass National Forest

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that next week it will propose reinstating the national Roadless Area Conservation Rule in the Tongass National Forest in Southeast Alaska. The move would restrict development on roughly 9.3 million acres in North America’s largest temperate rainforest.

Washington, DC

November 19, 2021

Wildlife Conservation and Climate Resiliency Highlighted as House Passes Build Back Better

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the Build Back Better Act which, at $1.75 trillion, has many key provisions for the protection of endangered species, climate mitigation and adaptation and forest health. The bill must next pass Senate, where it faces a razor-thin margin.

Boston, MA

November 17, 2021

Court Reinstates Gulf of Maine Lobstering Restriction to Protect Endangered Right Whales

The First Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted an emergency motion to reinstate a seasonal prohibition on lobster fishing with buoy lines in an area roughly 30 nautical miles off the coast of Maine.

St. Petersburg, FL

November 17, 2021

More Than 1,000 Manatees Have Died in 2021

Today, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that 1,003 manatees have died since the start of 2021.

Washington, DC

November 15, 2021

Biden Signs Infrastructure Bill Into Law with Billions for Wildlife Habitat and Climate Resiliency 

Today, President Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. The law will make significant investments in wildlife habitat and green infrastructure over the next decade.  It is one of the largest infrastructure investments in the nation’s history and garnered bipartisan support in the House and Senate.  