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Two North Atlantic right whales swimming alongside one another in the ocean
Washington, DC

Defenders Calls Foul on Latest Bill Seeking to Delay Protections for the Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale

Defenders of Wildlife condemns HR 9436, which would delay right whale protections until 2035, as entanglements push the species toward extinction.
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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.

Press Releases

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Polar bear walking in Arctic Refuge
Washington, DC

Bureau of Land Management Continues Drumbeat of Drilling in Alaska

Today, the Bureau of Land Management released the pre-publication Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for a revised Integrated Activity Plan for the 22 million acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (Reserve), located in the state’s Western Arctic region. The final plan undermines protections for the spectacular wildlife values in the Reserve, allowing new leasing, exploration and development in critical polar bear habitat and other important wildlife areas.
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Polar Bear on Thin Ice Svalbard, Norway
Washington, DC

39 Diverse Groups Launch Coalition For Clean Energy and Healthy Communities

Today, 39 diverse organizations ranging from environmental, to public health, to faith-based groups are launching the Coalition for Clean Energy and Healthy Communities (CCEHC).
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Collared adult male Canada lynx
Washington, DC

New Land Management Legislation Could Harm Imperiled Wildlife

New legislation, introduced today by Sen. Daines (R-Mont.), would allow the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to skip the important process of reinitiating consultation on the effect of their land management plans, even when new information indicating potential harms to listed species.
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Bison cow and calf Madison River in Yellowstone National Park
Poplar, MT

104 Yellowstone Bison Relocated to Fort Peck Reservation

Today, Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux leaders and Defenders of Wildlife transferred 11 more bison from Yellowstone National Park to the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. After today, 104 bison will have been successfully transferred to the reservation. This is the fourth relocation since April 2019 under a new program that diverts disease-free Yellowstone bison from slaughter to tribal-led restoration efforts.
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Ocelot looking up
Washington, D.C.

New Study Shows Wildlife Trade is a Major Threat to Biodiversity in the Americas

More than 1,500 wildlife species are threatened or near threatened with extinction in Mesoamerica, according to a new study published today in Cambridge University Press.
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