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Bobcat
Washington, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Partners with Rep. Don Beyer on Monumental Corridors Act

Defenders of Wildlife today celebrated the introduction of the Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2026, a landmark bill that would establish a national framework for identifying, designating and protecting wildlife corridors across the country.
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Wild Red Wolf
Washington, D.C.

House Leadership Pulls Historic Vote Following Intense Public Pressure

The GOP Leadership in the House of Representatives today pulled its scheduled vote on Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) ESA Amendments Act of 2025 — more aptly called the Extinction Act.
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Public Domain
Washington, D.C.

House to Vote on Gutting Bedrock Endangered Species Act

As the nation celebrates Earth Day this week, the House of Representatives will cast an historic vote on a bill to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, which was enacted more than 50 years ago to protect America’s wildlife from extinction.

Press Releases

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Desert-National-Wildlife-Refuge
Washington, DC

Department of Defense Legislation Proposes 1.1 Million Acre Takeover of National Wildlife Refuge for Military Training

The Washington Post reported today that the Department of Defense has developed legislation that would expand military control and use of more than two-thirds of Desert National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada for military training purposes.
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Mexican Gray Wolf
Albuquerque, N.M.

New Mexico State Game Commission Votes to Rejoin Wolf Recovery Program

The New Mexico State Game Commission voted today to rejoin the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program.
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Choptank River, MD
Charleston, SC

Conservation Groups Challenge Repeal of Clean Water Act Protections in Federal Court

Conservation groups today challenged in court the administration’s effort to strip away crucial clean water protections from rivers, lakes, streams and other waters that feed drinking-water sources for 200 million Americans and 32 million people in the South, or seven out of ten Southerners.
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Panther
St. Petersburg, FL

Statement on Deaths of Florida Panthers Suffering from Mystery Illness

Today, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced that the agency has confirmed neurological damage in one panther and one bobcat through necropsy.
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Juvenile chinook salmon
SACRAMENTO

Trump Administration Guts Endangered Species Act Protections for San Francisco Bay-Delta Fish

Today, USFWS and NMFS released new Endangered Species Act biological opinions for endangered salmon and other fish species in the San Francisco Bay-Delta.
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