Image
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.
Image
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.
Image
A close up of the face of a Sierra Nevada Red Fox at the edge of a forest in Deschutes County, Oregon.
Washington, D.C.

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

Image
Mexican gray wolf
Washington, DC

Trump Orders Cuts in Regulations that ‘Inhibit Economic Recovery'

President Trump signed an executive order on May 19, directing agencies to identify deregulatory actions to spur economic growth. The order directs agency administrators to
Image
Grizzly Bears at the confluence of the Russian River and Kenai River, Kenai Peninsula, Chugach National Forest, Alaska
Washington, DC

Trump Administration’s Assault on Alaska’s Wildlife Continues

he onslaught against wildlife on public lands in Alaska continues, this time on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Today, the Trump administration announced a plan to abandon existing federal hunting regulations for brown bears on the refuge, deferring to less protective state regulations instead.
Image
Asian-giant-hornet

‘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.
Washington, DC

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.
Image
Adolescent gray wolf howling near Lamar River in Yellowstone
Fort Collins, CO

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.
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