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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Memo Underscores Trump Administration’s All-Fronts War on Wildlife
Brian Nesvik, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, issued a memorandum explaining to FWS staff that the Endangered Species Act’s prohibition on unauthorized “take” applies only to affirmative acts intentionally and purposefully directed at a particular animal. This follows the Trump administration’s rescission of the regulatory definitions of “harm” under the ESA, which took effect this week.
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Court Rules Habitat Must Be Protected After FWS Attempts to Waive Protections for Less Than 40 Sierra Nevada Red Fox
Defenders of Wildlife earned a significant victory for the Endangered Species Act today when a federal district court found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to not designate critical habitat for the endangered Sierra Nevada red fox was a violation of the law.
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Construction on Gateway to Road through Izembek Continues
The Ninth Circuit today denied Defenders of Wildlife’s emergency motion to halt construction on King Cove Corp.’s 2.8-mile road segment leading to the doorstep of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Defenders’ request for immediate injunctive relief marks the latest stage in its larger effort to block a damaging and precedent-setting road from King Cove to Cold Bay, Alaska, that would plow through the heart of Izembek.
Press Releases
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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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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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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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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.
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Increased Human Activity Poses Potential Threat to Marine Wildlife
While many types of recreational activities are still limited by covid-19, kayakers and paddleboarders are once again crowding coastal ecosystems shared by wildlife. In turn, conservation groups are fielding a surge of reports about disturbances to sea otters and other animals.
jcovey@defenders.org
