Image
2021.11.26 - A small herd of caribou in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge - Alaska - Katrina Liebich-UWFWS.jpeg
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

DOI Trades Away Alaskan Refuges, Sells Out Public Lands

The Trump administration dealt a blow to the National Wildlife Refuge System by removing protections from the Arctic and Izembek National Wildlife Refuges. During what
Image
Bison in field
Wolf Point, Mont.

Proposed Biodiversity Credit Pilot Program a First for Tribes, Healthy Grasslands

A new conservation pilot program will offer industry leaders the opportunity to contribute to the return of bison to tribal lands, which will in turn
Image
Southern Sea Otter on its Back with Tag on its Foot
Olympia, WA

Defenders Offers Reward for Information on Sea Otter Poaching

The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that a federally protected sea otter was illegally tortured and killed in February 2025. Both FWS and Defenders

Press Releases

Image
Florida black bear
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

New Sentinel Landscape Designated Across Florida Panhandle

The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, comprised of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Interior (DOI), announced the designation of the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape (NWFSL), encompassing approximately 7.7 million acres of the Florida Panhandle around Eglin Airforce Base.
Image
Gray Wolf - Denali National Park - Alaska
Oakland, Calif.

Judge Restores Federal Protections for Gray Wolves

A federal district court today struck down a 2020 decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that removed federal protections from gray wolves across much of the U.S.
Image
Sunset over the Elk Mountains in the distance from a desert landscape
Washington, DC

New Study Shows Areas Important for Wildlife Adaptation to Climate Need More Protections

A new study, published in Environmental Research Letters, shows that conservation – particularly efforts to protect 30 percent of lands and waters by 2030 – should also focus on areas that can help wildlife better adapt in the face of climate change.
Image
Biodiversity collage
Washington, DC

Environmental Organizations, Federal and State Leaders Call for a National Biodiversity Strategy to Combat the Escalating Extinction Crisis

With one million species threatened with extinction, leading conservation organizations, including Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, World Wildlife Fund, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Wildlife Conservation Society and Natural Resources Defense Council, announced a new campaign to advocate for a national biodiversity strategy in the United States. Such a strategy is needed to ensure the U.S. government is taking an effective, whole-of-government approach to prevent the extinction of species, the collapse of ecosystems, and the increasing threats these pose to our health, security and well-being.
Image
Polar Bear
Anchorage, AK

Defenders Urges BLM to Stop the Willow Project and Drilling in the Arctic for Good

Defenders of Wildlife and 12 other organizations sent a letter today to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), expressing deep concern regarding the agency’s attempt
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
jpetrequin@defenders.org
(202) 772-0243
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268