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Trump Administration Calls on “God Squad” to Weaken Endangered Species Act Protections
The Trump administration today announced its intent to convene the Endangered Species Committee — colloquially known as the “God Squad”— on March 31, 2026, to consider an exemption under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for oil and gas-related activities in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Defenders of Wildlife Unveils 2025 Conservation Report Card for 119th Congress
Defenders of Wildlife today released its 2025 Conservation Report Card for the 119th Congress, measuring members’ commitment to upholding federal laws that protect wildlife conservation during its first session.
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Defenders of Wildlife Sues FWS Over Extensive FOIA Request Delays
Defenders of Wildlife today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, citing the agency’s extensive delay in fulfilling eight Freedom of Information Act requests related to land exchanges within the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Press Releases
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New Study Highlights More Than Three Decades of Suitable Habitat Decline for Golden-Cheeked Warbler
A new study by Defenders of Wildlife's Center for Conservation Innovation, “Spatiotemporal patterns in Golden-cheeked warbler breeding habitat quantity and suitability," was published last week in the scientific journal Avian Conservation and Ecology.
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Defenders of Wildlife Encouraged by Photos of Florida Panther at Renewable Energy Project
Newly captured images of a Florida panther, taken by a remote camera set up at the Florida Power & Light Company Sawgrass Solar Energy Center in Hendry Co., show that renewable energy projects can be designed in ways that allow wildlife to continue to share the landscape.
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Energy, Fishing, and Conservation Groups Respond to Washington Lawmakers' Presumptive Plan for Snake River Dam Replacement
Defenders of Wildlife and groups across the Northwest are calling on elected leaders from the region to fulfill their commitment to salmon restoration in the Columbia Basin, including breaching the four lower Snake River dams as soon as possible.
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Defenders of Wildlife Disappointed by Reversal of Okefenokee Oversight
In response to the announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers that they settled a lawsuit filed by the mining company, Twin Pines Minerals, Defenders of Wildlife released the following statement.
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In Victory for Wildlife, Florida Department of Transportation Shelves Last M-CORES Toll Road
After three years of overwhelming public opposition, the Florida Department of Transportation shelved the third and final proposed toll road of the M-CORES program.
jcovey@defenders.org
