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Judge Vacates Land Exchange, Halts Road Through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge
A federal judge today vacated an illegal closed-door deal between the U.S. Department of the Interior and a for-profit Alaska Native corporation, King Cove Corp., that exchanged a 10.5-mile corridor of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness lands to enable a road connecting King Cove and Cold Bay.
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Defenders Strongly Opposes USDA Proposal to Dismantle Long-Standing Protections for National Forests
The United States Department of Agriculture today announced that the U.S. Forest Service has filed a proposed rule to fully rescind the national 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule — a bedrock conservation policy that has protected nearly 45 million acres of undeveloped backcountry forests for over two decades.
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Defenders Joins Conservationists In Blasting Federal Proposal to Bulldoze Forestlands
Conservation groups today called a plan by the Trump administration to rescind the U.S. Forest Service’s Roadless Area Conversation Rule an alarming threat to national forests that are overwhelmingly loved by Americans.
Press Releases
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‘Murder Hornet’ Panic has People Swatting at Native Bees
Officials recently identified two Asian giant hornets, dubbed “murder hornets,” in a small area of Washington State. Just one is capable of decimating an entire colony of honey bees, so if the hornets spread, it could be devastating for bee species native to the United States.
Trump Administration Finalizes Extreme Predator Hunting Rules in Alaska National Preserves
The Trump administration announced today that it will finalize new regulations that roll back protections against extreme methods of killing predators and other wildlife in Alaska national preserves.
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New Study Finds Broad Public Support for Wolf Reintroduction in Colorado
A peer-reviewed study authored by 11 researchers in public opinion, biology and economics at Colorado State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows 84% support among Colorado’s public for Proposition 107 to reintroduce gray wolves, which will appear on this November’s ballot.
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Endangered Species Listing of Sierra Nevada Fisher in California
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced the Southern Sierra Nevada distinct population of fisher (Pekania pennanti) will be listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).
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Trump Administration Decision Spells Disaster for Endangered Black-footed Ferret Recovery
Today, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) finalized an amendment to the Thunder Basin National Grassland management plan that eliminates black-footed ferret recovery and enables widespread destruction of its habitat by lifting restrictions on poisoning and shooting of black-tailed prairie dogs.
jcovey@defenders.org
