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2023.04.22 - Burned Terrain from SpaceX Explosion - Texas - Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program (CC BY-ND 2.0).jpg

Defenders Calls on Service to Pull Out from Habitat-Degrading Land Swap

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently outlined its proposed land deal with SpaceX that would divest hundreds of acres across two national wildlife refuges
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right whale calf
Washington, D.C.

Trump Administration Announces First Step in Rolling Back Rule Protecting Whales

The Trump administration today took the first official step in rolling back a 2008 regulation vital to protecting critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from
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2025.03.08 - SW - Ocelot Fest - Jacqueline Covey-DOW (1).jpg

Ocelot Conservation Day Returns to the RGV

On March 7, the annual celebration of Texas’ beloved native cat, Ocelot Conservation Day, returns to the Rio Grande Valley. Now in its 29th year

Press Releases

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Florida panther
Tallahassee, Fla.

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.
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Florida panther with kitten
Collier County, Fla.

Frustrated Florida Landowners Back Out of Conservation Plan

Southwest Florida is experiencing exponential growth, and the accompanying urban development and expanding roadway networks are putting vital habitat for the endangered Florida panther and many other wildlife species at risk.
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Dave Johnson coal-fired power plant central Wyoming
Great Falls, MT

Judge Reinstates Obama-Era Coal Leasing Moratorium on Federal Lands

A federal judge in Montana District Court ruled today to reinstate a moratorium on new coal leasing on public lands, halting all coal leasing on federal lands until the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) completes a more sufficient environmental analysis. Defenders of Wildlife is one of several plaintiffs on this case.
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North atlantic right whale
Washington, D.C.

Federal Proposal Aims to Protect Endangered Right Whales From Ship Strikes

NOAA Fisheries proposed a rule today to better protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from being run over and killed by vessels in U.S. waters. Vessel strikes are one of the two primary threats to right whales; the other is entanglement in fishing gear.
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Red knots and horseshoe crabs
Cape May, NJ

Conservation Groups Demand Transparency on Horseshoe Crab Proposal Ahead of Commission Vote

Conservation groups sent a letter to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission this week strongly urging the body not to move forward with a proposal that would likely renew the killing of female horseshoe crabs for use as fishing bait.
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