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Piping Plover
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Sends Notice of Intent to Sue the Trump Administration over Rescission of ‘Harm’

Defenders of Wildlife today sent a letter to the Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce signaling its intent to sue over the administration’s rescission of the long-standing definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act.
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Pygmy Rabbit
Washington, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Raises Concerns Over Proposed BLM Rule That Would Roll Back Land Health and Grazing Safeguards

Defenders of Wildlife today submitted comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed livestock grazing regulations, urging that healthy public lands and robust public participation in land management must be a priority.
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Single manatee under water  swimming in the hot springs sanctuary in Florida
Washington, D.C.

Trump Administration Rescinds ‘Harm’ Definition, Defenders Prepares for Court

In a devastating blow to wildlife, the Trump administration today formally rescinded the regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act, eliminating the long-standing legal interpretation that habitat destruction that leads to death or injury of protected species is illegal.

Press Releases

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Gray bat
Washington, DC

To Prevent Pandemics We Need Stronger Wildlife Laws

As nations worldwide struggle to protect human health during the COVID-19 pandemic, wildlife experts are calling for lawmakers to address the link between human and wildlife health. In a paper published last month in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, scientists make the case that addressing the human-wildlife relationship is critical to keeping all communities and ecosystems safe from disease.
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Franklin's bumble bee
SACRAMENTO

Court Rules State of California Lacks Authority to Protect Imperiled Bumble Bee Species Under the California Endangered Species Act

This week, in a blow to imperiled bee and insect populations, the Sacramento County Superior Court issued a ruling in Almond Alliance v. California Fish and Game Commission (the Commission), deeming the State of California lacks authority to list four threatened bumble bee species as Endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA).
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Sage-Grouse on a hill
WASHINGTON

Trump Administration Finalizes Dangerous Amendments to Sage-Grouse Plans

The Bureau of Land Management has released its final greater sage-grouse supplemental environmental impact statements for Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada/northeastern California and Oregon.
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Tiger cub in Bandhavgarh
Washington, DC

Lawmakers in China Urged to Reduce Demand for Vulnerable Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife and more than 25 nonprofit organizations from India, Vietnam, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and Germany this week published an open letter to lawmakers in China urging them to act to reduce demand for wild animal species threatened with extinction.
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A grove of aspens burst into color near Forest Road 528 on the Rio Grande National Forest in Southern Colorado
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Announces Finalization of Destructive National Forest Rule

The Trump administration is poised to finalize a rule tomorrow that would make it easier to pursue the administration’s goal to ramp up logging and other harmful extractive activities within America’s treasured national forests.
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