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US Capitol Building Washington DC
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Opposes Reckless Reconciliation Energy Permitting Provisions in House Energy and Commerce Reconciliation Bill

Defenders of Wildlife strongly opposes the energy permitting provisions proposed in the draft Energy and Commerce Committee section of the House budget reconciliation bill.
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I'iwi bird - red bird on plant
Washington, D.C.

New Research Paper Finds Gaps in ESA Habitat Conservation Plan Program, Identifies Solutions

A new research paper by Defenders of Wildlife’s Center for Conservation Innovation on the Endangered Species Act’s Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) program reveals concerning information gaps inhibiting the complete assessment of the program’s impact and conservation outcomes.
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Brown Headed Cowbirds
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Applauds Rep. Huffman for New Migratory Bird Protection Act

Defenders of Wildlife today applauds Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) for his introduction of the Migratory Bird Protection Act of 2025.

Press Releases

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Manatee resting at Three Sisters Springs
Washington, DC

Congress Urged to Boost Funding for Endangered Species Conservation by $300 Million

More than 170 groups today urged Congress to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $291.7 million to
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Red wolf
Washington, DC

33 Members of Congress Urge Action on Red Wolf Restoration

Today, 33 U.S. representatives sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) leaders urging the agency to immediately implement a comprehensive plan to prevent the extinction of the critically endangered Red Wolf.
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Adult wolf looks at trail camera at night
Sacramento, Calif.

Oregon Wolf OR-93 Makes History, Traveling to California's Central Sierra Nevada

This week, a gray wolf from western Oregon dubbed OR-93 became the first collaRed Wolf to explore the central Sierra region of California. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), OR-93, a former member of the White River Pack near Mt. Hood, has traveled farther south into the state than any known wild wolf in a century, a historic journey that highlights the importance of habitat connectivity and the dispersal ability of this iconic species.
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Great Egret in flight in Okefenokee NWR
Washington, DC

Biden Administration Moves to Protect Migratory Birds, Drops Trump-Era Court Appeal

The Biden administration today formally dropped an appeal of a federal district court ruling that rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to strip protections for birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).
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Agassiz's desert tortoise eating cactus
Sacramento, CA

Biden Administration Halts Trump’s Last-minute Attack to Undo Desert Conservation Plan

In the 11th hour of President Trump’s term, the federal administration announced a rollback to upend key conservation protections afforded to public lands in the California Desert Conservation Area by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP) adopted by the federal government and the State of California in 2016.
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
jpetrequin@defenders.org
(202) 772-0243
Communications Specialist
zklein@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268