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brown bear
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

Trump Administration Opens Door to Bear Baiting, Den Hunting in Alaska Preserves

The National Park Service finalized a regulation that abdicates the agency's responsibility to manage wildlife in Alaska's national preserves, deferring instead to state regulations. Defenders of Wildlife condemns the rule, which mirrors a 2020 regulation promulgated by the first Trump administration that was later withdrawn and replaced in 2024.
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Washington, DC

BLM Prepares Illegal Move to Open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge to Oil & Gas, a Dangerous Precedent for Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife is calling on BLM to withdrawal an unprecedented proposal to open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge in Utah to new oil and gas leasing.
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Jake Li Testimony at EPW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

A Much-Needed Win for Wildlife: Senate Introduces Bill to Improve Endangered Species Act Implementation

Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Pete Rickets (R-NE) today introduced the Improving Species Recovery Act, an important bipartisan bill that would improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act.

Press Releases

Washington, DC

Trump Issues Orders that Undercut NEPA and Jeopardize Wildlife

Today, President Trump signed an executive order that would allow certain federal projects to secure approval without complying with long-standing environmental laws, including the National
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Fall Tundra Izembek NWR
Anchorage, AK

Court shuts down Interior’s second illegal land deal with King Cove Corp

A federal District Court decision released late yesterday resoundingly shut down the Interior Department’s second attempt at an illegal land exchange with the King Cove Corporation to make way for a road through vital protected wetlands in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
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San Joaquin Kit foxes
SACRAMENTO

More than 12,000 Acres of Endangered Species Habitat Permanently Protected as ‘North Carrizo Ecological Reserve’ in Response to Defenders Settlement Agreement

The California Fish and Game Commission (FGC) voted in April to permanently protect nearly 20 square miles of land in eastern San Luis Obispo County as the North Carrizo Ecological Reserve.
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Bone Cave Harvestman
AUSTIN, Texas

Court Rejects Koch Brothers-funded Group’s Attack on Rare Texas Arachnid

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals today rejected an attack on the Endangered Species Act’s constitutionality brought by a special interest group financed by the Koch brothers.
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Barred Owl in Ontario
Sacramento, CA

More than 175 Leading Scientists Unite to Protect California’s Biodiversity

More than 175 scientists and researchers who live or work in California have joined together in an open letter urging California policymakers to enact Assembly
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