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Northern Spotted Owl in Tree
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders Expands Legal Challenge to Trump Administration’s Assault on Endangered Species Act

Defenders of Wildlife today filed an amended complaint challenging the Trump administration’s escalating effort to dismantle longstanding protections for threatened and endangered wildlife under the Endangered Species Act.
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Salt Marsh - Cumberland Island
ST. MARYS, GEORGIA

NPS Land Swaps and Visitor Plan Open the Door to Devastating Impacts at Cumberland Island

In advance of a public hearing on proposed land exchanges on Cumberland Island National Seashore, Defenders of Wildlife called on the National Park Service to remedy a host of management issues facing one of the largest undeveloped barrier islands on the East Coast.
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2019.08.07 - Florida Panther looking straight at camera - MS 45 - fStop Foundation
WASHINGTON, D.C.

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.

Press Releases

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scarlet macaw barrel nest
Veracruz, Mexico

Barrels Provide Much-Needed Nesting Habitat for Scarlet Macaws in Mexico

Mexico’s scarlet macaws are finding a nesting refuge in an unlikely place – barrels. This unusual artificial home is used by a reintroduction project in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve in Veracruz, Mexico. The project, which brings together scientists, NGOs and communities, aims to restore a healthy population of scarlet macaws in the reserve, which is part of its historical range.
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Belugas
Anchorage, AK

Groups call out Army Corps for negligent review of Pebble’s faulty mine proposal

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a final environmental impact statement for the proposed Pebble mine that fails to address the concerns of scientists
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Gray wolf yellowstone Lamar valley
Seattle, Wash.

Another Lethal Removal Order Released for Washington Wolves

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today issued another lethal removal order for up to two members of the Wedge pack in the Kettle Range of Washington. The order comes days after WDFW reported new depredations in Stevens County, which lies within the Wedge pack’s territory.
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Royal Tern
Washington, DC

Environmental Groups Push Back Against Destructive Migratory Bird Rule, Proposed Alternatives

The Trump administration is using the “Miracle on the Hudson” event as an excuse to strip protections for migratory birds by undercutting one of our nation’s first conservation laws – the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).
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Lassen Pack pups
LASSEN COUNTY, Calif.

Minimum of Eight New Wolf Pups Confirmed in Lassen Pack Count

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has confirmed a minimum count of eight new pups in the Lassen Pack. This is the fourth consecutive year that the pack has produced pups.
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