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Defenders of Wildlife Welcomes Stefan Ekernas as New Vice President of Species Conservation & Coexistence
Defenders of Wildlife is proud to announce Stephan Ekernas as its new Vice President of Species Conservation and Coexistence, where he will oversee Defenders’ field conservation programs.
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Trump Administration Opens Door to Bear Baiting, Den Hunting in Alaska Preserves
The National Park Service finalized a regulation that abdicates the agency's responsibility to manage wildlife in Alaska's national preserves, deferring instead to state regulations. Defenders of Wildlife condemns the rule, which mirrors a 2020 regulation promulgated by the first Trump administration that was later withdrawn and replaced in 2024.
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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.
Press Releases
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WA Governor, Senator Announce Process to Assess Feasibility of Lower Snake River Dam Removal
In a joint statement, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) recently laid out a new plan to combine state and federal resources to assess the impacts and costs of breaching the four lower Snake River dams.
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Countries Undermine the Shortfin Mako’s Chances of Survival at Recent ICCAT Meeting
In a disappointing development, Wednesday’s International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) panel meeting failed yet again to advance negotiations which would provide shortfin mako sharks with the protection they need.
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Build Back Better Contains Many Wins for Wildlife and Combatting Climate Change
After months of negotiations, today, the House leadership released a near-final version of the Build Back Better Act, a core piece of President Biden’s agenda.
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Biden To Reverse Two Harmful Trump Rules That Limited Endangered Species Act Protections
The Biden administration announced it is reversing two harmful Trump administration rules that undermine the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the bedrock law that protects our nation’s wildlife from extinction. Broadly, the two rules had altered the way critical habitat is designated.
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Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale Population Drops to Estimated 336
Today, the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium announced that the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale’s population continued its decade-long decline, dropping from 366 in 2019 to 336 in 2020—an 8% decline.
jcovey@defenders.org
