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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.
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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.
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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

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Juneau, AK

Judge issues preliminary injunction halting old-growth timber sale in Tongass National Forest

Today a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction that halts, for now, the initial phase of the largest timber sale approved by the U.S. Forest
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Sonoran pronghorn fawns
Washington, DC

Interior Authorizes Transfer of 560 Acres of Public Lands for Military Use

The Department of the Interior has authorized a transfer of 560 acres of federal land to the U.S. Army for military use along the U.S.-Mexico
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Capitol Building
Washington, DC

Over 1,600 Scientists Call for Conservation Funding to Solve the Biodiversity Crisis

Today the prestigious journal Science published a letter entitled “ Solve the biodiversity crisis with funding,” coauthored by scientists at Defenders of Wildlife and universities
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Capitol Building
Washington, DC

Congress Fights Back Against Trump-Bernhardt Extinction Plan

Today, Reps. Grijalva (D-AZ), Dingell (D-MI) and Beyer (D-VA), and Sen. Udall (D-NM), introduced bills to reverse the Trump administration’s attack on the Endangered Species
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Right Whale
Washington, DC

Statement on North Atlantic Right Whale Death

Yesterday, a dead North Atlantic right whale was discovered four miles south of Fire Island inlet near Long Island, New York.
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