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Beaver in grand teton
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Denounces Administration's Alarming Proposed Budget Cuts to Wildlife Conservation

Defenders of Wildlife today condemned the Trump administration’s reckless FY27 budget proposal that calls on Congress to slash critical funding vital to wildlife conservation.
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View of Pisgah National Forest through the trees
Asheville, N.C.

Federal court rules Forest Service unlawfully relied on flawed analysis to create Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan

In a major victory for the communities and wildlife that depend on North Carolina’s Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, the U.S. District Court for the
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Rice's Whale
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders Slams Unlawful God Squad Vote to Strip Endangered Species Act Protection from Wildlife in the Gulf

Defenders of Wildlife strongly opposes today’s vote by the Endangered Species Committee, or God Squad, to condemn species to extinction in the name of a fictitious “national security emergency.”

Press Releases

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Collared adult male Canada lynx
Washington, DC

Eleventh Hour Rule to Further Weaken Laws to Protect Endangered Species

The Trump administration proposed an eleventh-hour rule yesterday that would significantly diminish the strength of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by allowing federal regulators to ignore new information about the impacts of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans governing actions that have the potential to harm ESA-listed species, such as logging, roadbuilding, oil and gas leasing and other habitat-disturbing activities.
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Border wall
Alamo, Texas

Border Communities Oppose Trump Visit, Fear Repeat of Racist Anti-Democratic Violence

President Trump will reportedly visit the Lower Rio Grande Valley this week to promote the border wall, in the middle of congressional action to impeach him for his role inciting insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week. Border communities rightly see his trip as an immediate threat to community safety and security.
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Manatee resting at Three Sisters Springs
Homosassa, FL

Politically-Motivated Manatee Harassment is ‘Beyond Cruel and Inhumane’

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported they are opening an investigation after a manatee was discovered with severe scarring spelling “TRUMP” on its back in the Homosassa River in Citrus County, Florida. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed manatees as “threatened,” having been previously classified as “endangered” until 2017.
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Loggerhead sea turtle
St. Petersburg, FL

Feds to Be Sued for Weakening Sea Turtle Protections

Conservation groups issued a formal notice today of their intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service for drastically weakening rules that prevent sea turtles from dying in shrimp trawl nets.
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Misty Forest - Green Swamp Preserve - North Carolina
Washington, DC

Lawsuit: Stop Trump administration’s parting shot at national forests

A lawsuit filed today seeks to reverse the Trump administration’s elimination of critical safeguards that have protected national forests from unneeded, ill-conceived and destructive logging, road building, and utility right-of-way projects.
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