Image
black-footed ferret at the nat'l black-footed ferret conservation center
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Slams SPEED Act as it Speeds Toward Habitat Destruction

Defenders of Wildlife condemns Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) SPEED ACT, H.R. 4776 the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, ahead of Thursday’s expected floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Image
grizzly bear in Alaska
Washington, D.C.

ESA Amendments Act Poses a Historic Threat to America’s Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife remains on high alert as it braces for the House Natural Resources Committee’s full markup of Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) Endangered Species Amendments Act of 2025. More aptly labeled the Extinction Act, the bill seeks to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, stripping away decades of crucial protections for America’s wildlife and their habitats.
Image
gray wolf walking with paw raised and looking at camera
Washington, D.C.

House Vote Scheduled on Ending Gray Wolf Protections, Undermining the Endangered Species Act

The House of Representatives is expected this Thursday to vote on ending gray wolf protections, prematurely delisting gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act before

Press Releases

Image
Red wolves playing
Raleigh, NC

Governor Cooper Demands U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recommit to Red Wolf Recovery Efforts

Today, Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) sent letters to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), urging the USFWS to work harder to save critically-endangered Red Wolves from extinction.
Image
Bay-Delta
SACRAMENTO

Conservation, Fishing Organizations Prepare to sue Bureau of Reclamation for Endangered Species Act Violations in San Francisco Bay-Delta

Conservation, Fishing Organizations Prepare to sue Bureau of Reclamation for Endangered Species Act Violations in San Francisco Bay-Delta
Image
Teshekpuk Caribou, Northeast NPRA.
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Doubles Down on Alaskan Drilling

Today, the Bureau of Land Management released the draft Integrated Activity Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 22-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).
SACRAMENTO

Governor Newsom Announces Lawsuit Against Trump Administration's Flawed Bay-Delta Plan

Defenders of Wildlife reacts to the announcement from Governor Newsom on his decision to challenge the Trump administration's flawed Bay-Delta biological opinions.
Image
Piping plover mom and chick
Washington, DC

New Study Shows Agency Plans Inadequate to Protect Endangered Animals from Climate Change

Research lead by Defenders of Wildlife reveals agencies charged with protecting animals listed under the ESA are not adequately addressing threats from climate change.
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
jpetrequin@defenders.org
(202) 772-0243
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268