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Three sea otters float in the water. There are hills or mountains in the distance in the background.

Construction on Gateway to Road through Izembek Continues

The Ninth Circuit today denied Defenders of Wildlife’s emergency motion to halt construction on King Cove Corp.’s 2.8-mile road segment leading to the doorstep of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Defenders’ request for immediate injunctive relief marks the latest stage in its larger effort to block a damaging and precedent-setting road from King Cove to Cold Bay, Alaska, that would plow through the heart of Izembek.
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sea otter eye contact, CA

Rooted in Resilience: Sea Otter Awareness Week Returns for its 24th Year

Sea Otter Awareness Week is sponsored and organized by Defenders of Wildlife, Sea Otter Savvy, California State Parks, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Elakha Alliance and The Marine Mammal Center. Learn more about sea otters during Sea Otter Awareness Week at upcoming in-person and virtual events in California and Oregon.
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Red Knot Flying
WASHINGTON, D.C.

On “Day Zero” for American Wildlife, Groups Across U.S. Denounce the Trump Administration's Attack on Endangered Species’ Habitat

Today, the Trump administration’s unprecedented move to strip imperiled species of protections for the places where they live went into effect.

Press Releases

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Avi Kwa Ame
Washington, DC

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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Okefenokee
Washington, DC

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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Ptarmigan changing colors in NPR-A
Anchorage, AK

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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Washington, D.C.

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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Florida Panther
Washington, D.C.

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.
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
Communications Specialist
estern@defenders.org
202-772-0243