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Washington, DC

BLM Prepares Illegal Move to Open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge to Oil & Gas, a Dangerous Precedent for Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife is calling on BLM to withdrawal an unprecedented proposal to open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge in Utah to new oil and gas leasing.
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Jake Li Testimony at EPW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

A Much-Needed Win for Wildlife: Senate Introduces Bill to Improve Endangered Species Act Implementation

Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Pete Rickets (R-NE) today introduced the Improving Species Recovery Act, an important bipartisan bill that would improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act.
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Porcupine caribou making its way through deep snow on the East Fork of the Chandalar River
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Enough is Enough: Senate Blocks Yet Another Attempt to Prioritize Drilling in the Arctic

The Senate today blocked an attempt to pass S. 5438, introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK). The bill would have ratified and approved all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to federal law necessary for the establishment and administration of the Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program, among other purposes.

Press Releases

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Capitol Building
Washington, DC

Wildlife Conservation and Climate Resiliency Highlighted as House Passes Build Back Better

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the Build Back Better Act which, at $1.75 trillion, has many key provisions for the protection of endangered species, climate mitigation and adaptation and forest health. The bill must next pass Senate, where it faces a razor-thin margin.
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North atlantic right whale and calf
Boston, MA

Court Reinstates Gulf of Maine Lobstering Restriction to Protect Endangered Right Whales

The First Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday granted an emergency motion to reinstate a seasonal prohibition on lobster fishing with buoy lines in an area roughly 30 nautical miles off the coast of Maine.
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Manatee
St. Petersburg, FL

More Than 1,000 Manatees Have Died in 2021

Today, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that 1,003 manatees have died since the start of 2021.
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Photo of the White House in Washington, DC
Washington, DC

Biden Signs Infrastructure Bill Into Law with Billions for Wildlife Habitat and Climate Resiliency 

Today, President Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. The law will make significant investments in wildlife habitat and green infrastructure over the next decade.  It is one of the largest infrastructure investments in the nation’s history and garnered bipartisan support in the House and Senate.  
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Red wolf in Alligator River NWR
Washington, DC

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Withdraws Flawed Red Wolf Rule

This week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced they would withdraw a 2018 proposed rule that would have shrunk the North Carolina-based Red Wolf recovery area (NC NEP) by 90 percent, severely hampering recovery efforts.
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