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Final Rescission of Public Lands Rule Reverses Modern Land Management, Threatens Wildlife Habitat
The Bureau of Land Management today announced a decision to roll back the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule. The policy modernized how BLM manages our national public lands and represented the critical incorporation of ecological resilience into management alongside traditional resource extraction. The rule required science-based decision-making, conservation considerations within multiple land uses and a focus on sustaining public lands for the long-term benefit of wildlife and the American people.
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Trump Administration Cancels Critical Offshore Wind Projects and Increases Costs for Taxpayers
The Department of Interior this week announced that two offshore wind companies, Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind, have abandoned their developments. According to reports, the companies received some $900 million to walk away from the projects.
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Defenders’ Laura Nunes Named to Prestigious ESIIL Working Group
Defenders of Wildlife scientist Laura Nunes has been selected to join the Environmental Data Science Innovation & Impact Lab’s third cohort of working groups.
Press Releases
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NOAA Announces Insufficient Final Rule on Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan
NOAA Fisheries announced today that the final rule of Phase I modifications to the Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP) has been signed and sent to the Federal Register for publication.
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Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump Era Water Rule Change, Offering Hope for Okefenokee
Today, A federal judge struck down a Trump administration replacement rule that significantly curtailed the effectiveness and scope of the Clean Water Act.
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New Video Footage Surfaces of Wolf in Southern California
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDWF) has announced that a collared gray wolf was seen on trail camera footage in mid-May on private property in southwestern Kern County. It’s possible that this was OR-93, whose GPS collar went completely silent in early April 2021, raising concerns that the young male wolf may no longer be alive.
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New Mexico Formally Commits to Biden’s America the Beautiful Plan
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order (EO) today focused on protecting New Mexico’s biodiversity, carbon stores and natural working lands. Despite being rich in species of plants and wildlife, only 5% of New Mexico’s lands and waters are protected with biodiversity as the priority.
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Montana Proposes Increase in Wolf Hunting Quota
On Friday, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission approved a proposal to increase the wolf harvest in Montana, including the use of controversial techniques such as snaring, baiting and night hunting.
jcovey@defenders.org
