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Washington, DC

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.
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Jake Li Testimony at EPW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

A Much-Needed Win for Wildlife: Senate Introduces Bill to Improve Endangered Species Act Implementation

Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Pete Rickets (R-NE) today introduced the Improving Species Recovery Act, an important bipartisan bill that would improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act.
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Porcupine caribou making its way through deep snow on the East Fork of the Chandalar River
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Enough is Enough: Senate Blocks Yet Another Attempt to Prioritize Drilling in the Arctic

The Senate today blocked an attempt to pass S. 5438, introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK). The bill would have ratified and approved all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to federal law necessary for the establishment and administration of the Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program, among other purposes.

Press Releases

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Gray Wolf
Boise, Ida.

Idaho Documents Reveal Weeks-old Wolf Pups Among 570 Maimed, Slaughtered Wolves

As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week that the removal of wolves from Endangered Species Act protection nation-wide is “very imminent,” new
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Beaver Swimming
Portland, Oregon

Oregon Urged to End Beaver Trapping, Hunting on Federal Lands

Conservation groups filed a petition today asking the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission to permanently close commercial and recreational beaver trapping and hunting on the state’s federally managed public lands and the waters that flow through them.
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Gray wolf howling
Denver, CO

Several Wolves from First Colorado Wolf Pack in Decades Likely Shot

After a group of six wolves were confirmed in Northwest Colorado this past January—the first pack in the state since the 1940s—there are now reports that three of these wolves have been killed in Wyoming along the Colorado border. The prospects of the remaining wolves are uncertain.
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Gray Wolf Yellowstone NP
Denver, CO

70 Conservation Organizations, Representing 16 Million Americans, Endorse Colorado Wolf Restoration

Over seventy conservation organizations representing 16 million Americans sent a letter today to Colorado’s governor and natural resources director supporting the concept of reintroducing the gray wolf to Colorado.
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Lesser Prairie Chicken
Washington, DC

New Proposals Would Make It Tougher to Protect Endangered Species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a new proposal today that would allow the government to deny critical habitat protections for endangered animals and plants in areas that would see greater economic benefits from being developed — a change that could open lands and waterways to more energy development and other activities.
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