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Piping Plover
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Sends Notice of Intent to Sue the Trump Administration over Rescission of ‘Harm’

Defenders of Wildlife today sent a letter to the Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce signaling its intent to sue over the administration’s rescission of the long-standing definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act.
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Pygmy Rabbit
Washington, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Raises Concerns Over Proposed BLM Rule That Would Roll Back Land Health and Grazing Safeguards

Defenders of Wildlife today submitted comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed livestock grazing regulations, urging that healthy public lands and robust public participation in land management must be a priority.
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Single manatee under water  swimming in the hot springs sanctuary in Florida
Washington, D.C.

Trump Administration Rescinds ‘Harm’ Definition, Defenders Prepares for Court

In a devastating blow to wildlife, the Trump administration today formally rescinded the regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act, eliminating the long-standing legal interpretation that habitat destruction that leads to death or injury of protected species is illegal.

Press Releases

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Bald eagle sitting at the top of an evergreen tree
Madison, WI

Judge Halts Power Line Through Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge

Defenders of Wildlife and three other conservation groups – the National Wildlife Refuge Association, Driftless Area Land Conservancy, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation – prevailed on January
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Lindsay Rosa headshot
Washington, DC

Defenders of Wildlife Names Dr. Lindsay Rosa as Center for Conservation Innovation Director

Defenders of Wildlife is pleased to announce that Dr. Lindsay Rosa is the new director of Defenders’ Center for Conservation Innovation (CCI). Rosa joined Defenders in 2019 as head of CCI’s science team.
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Horshoe crabs
Washington, DC

Horseshoe Crab Management Proposal Could Further Imperil Threatened Red Knot Shorebird

A coalition of conservation groups has warned regional fishery managers that a proposed change to the rules governing horseshoe crab removal in Delaware Bay threatens the red knot, a declining migratory shorebird whose numbers along the bay reached a record low last spring.
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Florida panther
New York, NY

Nature's Brokers: Scientists Show Pumas Maintain Relationships with Nearly 500 Living Species, Holding America’s Ecosystems Together

Pumas maintain relationships with an astounding 485 living species and play a critical role in holding ecosystems together throughout the Western Hemisphere, according to a new study entitled Pumas as ecological brokers: a review of their biotic relationships from Defenders of Wildlife and Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization, published today in Mammal Review.
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Yellowstone bison released at Ft. Peck Reservation
Wolf Point, Mont.

28 Bison Transferred from Yellowstone to Fort Peck

Twenty-eight Yellowstone bison were released today at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, marking the sixth successful transfer from Yellowstone National Park to the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Fort Peck since 2019.
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