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Caribou migrating through Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

Defenders Slams Lease Sale in Arctic Refuge

The Bureau of Land Management today opened nine bids on five tracts regarding an oil and gas lease sale on the Coastal Plain of the
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Snowy Plover
Washington, D.C.

President Trump Rescinds Long Standing Executive Orders Designed to Conserve Wildlife and Federal Lands from Unmanaged Motorized Recreation

President Trump last Friday issued an Executive Order rescinding EOs 11644 and 11989 which guide the management of ATVs, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, jet skis and other off-road motorized vehicles on federal lands. President Trump also ordered federal agencies to rescind or revise regulations that implement the prior EOs.
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wolverine
Washington, D.C.

House Interior Bill Attacks Crucial Protections for Imperiled Wildlife and Public Lands

Defenders of Wildlife today slammed the House Appropriations Committee’s proposed Interior and Environment spending bill for Fiscal Year 2027, which includes numerous damaging policy riders intended to weaken the Endangered Species Act and undermine protections for individual species.

Press Releases

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New Mexico wildlife
Albuquerque, NM

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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Gray wolf yearlings from Lamar Canyon pack in Yellowstone NP
Helena, Montana

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.
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Gunnison Sage Grouse
Washington, DC

New Forest Plan in Colorado Pushes Logging Over Land and Wildlife Conservation

The U.S. Forest Service recently released its much-anticipated draft revised forest plan and draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Colorado’s Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison
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Polar Bears
Anchorage, AK

District Court Voids Permits for ConocoPhillips' Willow Project

Defenders of Wildlife and five allied groups celebrate today’s U.S. District Court decision protecting the health of Arctic communities by upholding the law and voiding the flawed Trump-era approvals and permits for the ConocoPhillips’s Willow Master Development Plan.
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Florida manatee Crystal River NWR
St. Petersburg, FL

Changes Sought for Florida Manatee Critical Habitat as Deaths Set New Record

Conservation organizations today filed a formal notice of their intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to revise outdated critical habitat for Florida manatees.
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