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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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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.
Press Releases
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Gov. DeSantis Signs Major Property Act into Law, Protecting Families and Endangered Species
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act (UPHPA) into law, marking a major victory for Florida’s families. The bill, sponsored by state Senator Randolph Bracy (D-Orlando) and state Representative Loranne Ausley (D-Tallahassee), helps protect the transfer of wealth between generations of families who use a simple will or pass without a will. Because a majority of low-income and minority Floridians don’t have wills, this law will help transfer wealth among many people who need it the most.
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Togo Pack Lethal Removal Order Announced
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced a new lethal removal order for up to two members of the Togo wolf pack in the Kettle Range.
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Rare Sighting of a Male Ocelot
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge announced today the sighting of a new male ocelot on the refuge, as captured by camera trap photos.
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Conservation Groups File Motions to Defend Ventura County Wildlife Connectivity
Conservation organizations filed two legal motions today to defend Ventura County’s innovative wildlife connectivity ordinances—the first of their kind in California.
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More than 40,000 Commenters Weigh in on Mexican gray wolves
Despite the challenges to public outreach in the midst of the global pandemic and stay-at-home orders, supporters of effective science-informed recovery of the critically endangered “lobos” submitted more than 40,000 comments.
jcovey@defenders.org
