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Stefan Ekernas
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Welcomes Stefan Ekernas as New Vice President of Species Conservation & Coexistence

Defenders of Wildlife is proud to announce Stephan Ekernas as its new Vice President of Species Conservation and Coexistence, where he will oversee Defenders’ field conservation programs.
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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condemns the rule, which mirrors a 2020 regulation promulgated by the first Trump administration that was later withdrawn and replaced in 2024.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.

Press Releases

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Desert bighorn sheep ram at Afton Canyon Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), within the Mojave Trails National Monument
SACRAMENTO

Defenders of Wildlife Applauds Introduction of Desert Conservation bill

Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia introduced AB 2839, California Deserts Conservancy, to create a new California Desert Conservancy dedicated to the conservation of California’s iconic desert.
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Sage grouse
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Papers over Sage-Grouse Plans

Today, the Trump administration published supplemental environmental analyses as a band-aid to previously-issued environmental impact statements found deficient by a federal judge.
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Bay-Delta
BAKERSFIELD, Calif.

Trump Administration Finalizes Decision to Undermine ESA Protections for Bay Delta Fish

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issued a Record of Decision that will finalize environmentally destructive water project operations for the Central Valley Project, including substantial increases in the amount of water that can be diverted from the San Francisco Bay Delta.
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Salmon
Salem, OR

Oregon Governor Kate Brown Says Restoring the Snake River Must be Part of Plan to Save Salmon and Orcas

Late last week, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown sent a letter to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee supporting the restoration of the Snake River, saying that removing the four federal dams on the lower portion of the waterway must be part of a comprehensive plan to save endangered salmon, steelhead and orcas.
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Jaguar

Greater Protections Proposed for Jaguars, Sharks at International Wildlife Convention

This week, representatives from 130 countries are gathered at the meeting of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13) in Gandhinagar, India.
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