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Scientists Join Religious Community in Calling for a Strong Endangered Species Act
Defenders of Wildlife today shared a letter from over 600 scientists around the country urging Congress to uphold the Endangered Species Act. The letter delivers a clear message that policy decisions must be based on science when addressing imperiled wildlife.
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Senate Votes to Prioritize Oil Over Arctic Conservation
The United States Senate today approved resolutions under the Congressional Review Act to overturn previous Biden administration protections for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, clearing the way for expanded oil and gas drilling.
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Trump Proposal Puts America’s Most Vulnerable and Valuable Coastal Resources in the Crosshairs
Protected areas across United States coasts are in the sights of a new oil and gas drilling proposal released on Thursday by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Press Releases
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Commonwealth of Virginia Announces Steps Towards Protecting Migratory Birds
The commonwealth of Virginia announced today that it will take actions to ensure the protection of migratory birds in the face of the Trump administration’s abandonment of enforcement of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). The state announced that the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) will begin a process to promulgate state-wide regulations to establish a permitting process to minimize the incidental take of migratory birds by commercial, industrial and construction projects.
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Presidential Budget Abandons Programs Supportive of Wildlife and Climate Science
Yesterday, President Trump released his proposed federal budget for 2021 that significantly cuts programs that conserve wildlife, support science and address climate change.
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Former Interior Officials Want Secretary Bernhardt to Reconsider Changes to Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Former Interior Officials Want Secretary Bernhardt to Reconsider Changes to Migratory Bird Treaty Act A bipartisan coalition of 15 former Department of the Interior officials
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Twin Pines Withdraws Applications for Mining Project Next to Okefenokee—For Now
Twin Pines Minerals, LLC has withdrawn its application to operate on roughly 2,400 acres of land along the border of the Okefenokee Swamp, announcing they will reduce the size of the permit area before resubmitting their application. The news is a temporary reprieve for the swamp, which contains the nation’s largest national wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River and attracts over 600,000 visitors annually.
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Endangered Gray Wolf Found Dead in Northern California
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service announced a female gray wolf was found dead on February 5 in Shasta County.
jcovey@defenders.org
