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Defenders Celebrates Vote to Add Okefenokee Refuge to UNESCO World Heritage List
The United Nations World Heritage Committee voted to add the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to its World Heritage List.
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Conservation Groups Plan to Sue Trump Over Attempts to Eliminate Protections for Threatened Species & Favor Corporate Interests Instead of Science
Conservation groups notified the Trump administration of their plans to challenge two rulemakings weakening the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that were finalized today.
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In a Gift to Industry, The Trump Administration Eliminates Protections for Threatened Species and Essential Habitat
In a devastating blow to wildlife, the Trump administration today finalized rollbacks of two regulations implementing the Endangered Species Act that will hamstring the protection and recovery of endangered and threatened species.
Press Releases
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Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Polar Bears on the Auction Block
The Bureau of Land Management announced today that it will hold an oil and gas lease sale on January 6 for the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the nation’s premier national wildlife refuges.
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Congress Announces National Strategy to Protect our Nation’s Biodiversity
As a result of human-related activities, the loss of species is accelerating faster than ever before in human history according to scientists. The consequences of
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Emergency Petition Seeks to Protect Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales From Fishing Gear
Conservation and wildlife-protection groups today filed an emergency rulemaking petition to protect critically endangered North Atlantic right whales from becoming entangled in commercial fishing gear.
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Ill-Conceived Change to Thunder Basin National Grassland Management Plan Quashes Hope for Successful Black-Footed Ferret Recovery
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) released a record of decision today on a management plan amendment for Thunder Basin National Grassland in Wyoming, finalizing a rollback of crucial protections for prairie dogs at the site. The end of these protections is a fatal blow to the prospective reintroduction of critically endangered black-footed ferrets to Thunder Basin, which has been managed as a future reintroduction site since 1988.
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International Conferences Canceled, Leaving Species with Less Protections
As with many events worldwide in 2020, the conferences that create stronger international wildlife policies have been canceled too. These cancelations mean that imperiled wildlife will have to wait another year for new recommendations, measures, and decisions when a million species are already under threat of extinction and have yet to receive protection.
jcovey@defenders.org
