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Defenders Celebrates U.S. Appeals Court Ruling to Protect Imperiled Sea Turtles from Drowning in Fishing Nets
A federal appeals court upheld the rule requiring shrimp trawling vessels to use turtle excluder devices so that sea turtles can avoid getting caught in nets.
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House Gambles with Survival for North Atlantic Right Whales in Latest Vote to Delay Protections
The House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 9436, a bill that will delay conservation protections for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales.
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District Court Okays Bulldozing a Road to the Doorstep of Izembek Wilderness
A federal district court in Alaska today allowed construction to begin on a 2.8-mile road segment on KCC lands to connect to a 10.5-mile road within Izembek.
Press Releases
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Defenders Applauds Creation of New National Monument in Nevada
President Biden established Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in southern Nevada today. Also known as “Spirit Mountain,” it protects nearly 380,000 acres of sacred tribal and biologically significant lands in the Mojave Desert, some of which historically has been sought for large-scale energy development. This designation also links key desert tortoise habitat in Nevada and California and creates important wildlife corridors for bighorn sheep.
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Thousands of People Submit Comments Against Mining Near Okefenokee
Nearly 10,000 people submitted comments to Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) urging Georgia to reject the proposal from Twin Pines Minerals to mine near Okefenokee Swamp.
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Conservation Groups Sue to Stop the Willow Oil Project in Alaska’s Western Arctic
Defenders of Wildlife and other conservation groups, represented by Earthjustice filed a lawsuit late last night to stop the massive Willow oil-drilling project in Alaska’s Western Arctic, which the Biden administration approved on March 13. This enormous new carbon source undermines President Biden’s promises to slash greenhouse-gas emissions in half by 2030 and transition the United States to clean energy.
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Biden Administration Withdraws from Izembek National Wildlife Refuge Land Swap
Today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland revoked a land swap triggered by the Trump administration that would have paved the way for a road through Alaska’s Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. The Department of the Interior will initiate a new environmental analysis to determine if a land exchange and potential gravel road comply with federal laws and regulations.
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Defenders Applauds Efforts to Establish New Conservation Area in Southwest Florida
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced its intent to begin conservation planning efforts across a study area in southwest Florida.
jcovey@defenders.org
