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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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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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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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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.
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California Legislators Introduce Bill to Establish One of the Nation’s Largest Urban Wildlife Refuges
Today, Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced legislation to establish the Western Riverside National Wildlife Refuge in one of the fastest growing counties in the nation.
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Defenders Supports Conclusions of Federal Feasibility Assessment on Sea Otter Reintroduction to Northern California and Oregon
After a year-long study and six months of internal review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its assessment of the potential restoration of sea otters to historical areas of California and Oregon.
jcovey@defenders.org
