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black-footed ferret at the nat'l black-footed ferret conservation center
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Slams SPEED Act as it Speeds Toward Habitat Destruction

Defenders of Wildlife condemns Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) SPEED ACT, H.R. 4776 the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, ahead of Thursday’s expected floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Washington, D.C.

ESA Amendments Act Poses a Historic Threat to America’s Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife remains on high alert as it braces for the House Natural Resources Committee’s full markup of Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) Endangered Species Amendments Act of 2025. More aptly labeled the Extinction Act, the bill seeks to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, stripping away decades of crucial protections for America’s wildlife and their habitats.
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gray wolf walking with paw raised and looking at camera
Washington, D.C.

House Vote Scheduled on Ending Gray Wolf Protections, Undermining the Endangered Species Act

The House of Representatives is expected this Thursday to vote on ending gray wolf protections, prematurely delisting gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act before

Press Releases

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Desert Tortoise Joshua Tree NP
SACRAMENTO

California Fish and Game Commission Accepts Recommendation to Strengthen Protections for Desert Tortoise

Today, the California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to accept a report from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) that recommends strengthening protections for the Agassiz’s desert tortoise.
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North atlantic right whale
Washington, DC

Judge orders deadline for new North Atlantic right whale protections

As a result of a successful lawsuit by several environmental and animal organizations, a federal judge today ordered federal fishery managers to issue a new rule for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales no later than May 31, 2021.
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California spotted owl
SAN FRANCISCO

Lawsuit Challenges Federal Government’s Refusal to Protect California Spotted Owl

Conservationists today sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for refusing to protect California spotted owls under the Endangered Species Act.
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Polar Bear mother and cubs
Washington, DC

Federal Government Completes Plan to Sell Out Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Big Oil

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today issued a Record of Decision (ROD) finalizing the agency’s reckless plan to lease the coastal plain of the
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Gray Wolf Yellowstone NP
Seattle, Wash.

WDFW Issues Lethal Removal Order for Washington's Leadpoint Pack

Today the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) released a lethal removal order for one to two wolves in the Leadpoint wolf pack. The order is in response to eleven depredation events that occurred in June and August on large private pastures in Stevens County, a known high-conflict area for livestock and wolves.
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
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268