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A close up of the face of a Sierra Nevada Red Fox at the edge of a forest in Deschutes County, Oregon.
Washington, D.C.

Court Rules Habitat Must Be Protected After FWS Attempts to Waive Protections for Less Than 40 Sierra Nevada Red Fox

Defenders of Wildlife earned a significant victory for the Endangered Species Act today when a federal district court found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to not designate critical habitat for the endangered Sierra Nevada red fox was a violation of the law.
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Three sea otters float in the water. There are hills or mountains in the distance in the background.

Construction on Gateway to Road through Izembek Continues

The Ninth Circuit today denied Defenders of Wildlife’s emergency motion to halt construction on King Cove Corp.’s 2.8-mile road segment leading to the doorstep of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Defenders’ request for immediate injunctive relief marks the latest stage in its larger effort to block a damaging and precedent-setting road from King Cove to Cold Bay, Alaska, that would plow through the heart of Izembek.
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sea otter eye contact, CA

Rooted in Resilience: Sea Otter Awareness Week Returns for its 24th Year

Sea Otter Awareness Week is sponsored and organized by Defenders of Wildlife, Sea Otter Savvy, California State Parks, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Elakha Alliance and The Marine Mammal Center. Learn more about sea otters during Sea Otter Awareness Week at upcoming in-person and virtual events in California and Oregon.

Press Releases

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Caribou on tundra in NPR-A
Anchorage, AK

Biden Administration to Reverse Oil Lease Expansion in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska

The Bureau of Land Management announced that it will reverse previous plans to expand oil leasing in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and include new plans to protect threatened and endangered species instead.
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Mexican Gray Wolf stare
Flagstaff, Ariz.

Well-known Mexican Gray Wolf Killed on National Forest Land in Northern Arizona

An endangered Mexican gray wolf in Arizona known as “Anubis” (m2520) was illegally shot and killed on Jan. 2. His death, on national forest land, is now under federal investigation.
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Gray wolf in snow
Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.

20 Yellowstone Wolves Killed by Hunters in 2021

In recent months, 20 gray wolves from Yellowstone National Park have been confirmed shot by hunters after leaving the park’s boundaries—15 wolves in Montana and five more in Idaho and Wyoming.
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Frolicking wolf pups with Mom

10 Ways 2021 Gave Us Hope for Wildlife

Despite the challenges 2021 brought us, Defenders of Wildlife has made great strides to protect wildlife and their habitat.
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Sockeye Salmon
SEATTLE, Wash.

WA Governor Proposes $187 Million for Salmon Recovery

Last week, Washington Governor Jay Inslee unveiled a suite of legislative proposals that would invest $187 million into drastically updating the state’s approach to protecting salmon.
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