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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Memo Underscores Trump Administration’s All-Fronts War on Wildlife
Brian Nesvik, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, issued a memorandum explaining to FWS staff that the Endangered Species Act’s prohibition on unauthorized “take” applies only to affirmative acts intentionally and purposefully directed at a particular animal. This follows the Trump administration’s rescission of the regulatory definitions of “harm” under the ESA, which took effect this week.
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Court Rules Habitat Must Be Protected After FWS Attempts to Waive Protections for Less Than 40 Sierra Nevada Red Fox
Defenders of Wildlife earned a significant victory for the Endangered Species Act today when a federal district court found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to not designate critical habitat for the endangered Sierra Nevada red fox was a violation of the law.
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Construction on Gateway to Road through Izembek Continues
The Ninth Circuit today denied Defenders of Wildlife’s emergency motion to halt construction on King Cove Corp.’s 2.8-mile road segment leading to the doorstep of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Defenders’ request for immediate injunctive relief marks the latest stage in its larger effort to block a damaging and precedent-setting road from King Cove to Cold Bay, Alaska, that would plow through the heart of Izembek.
Press Releases
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Endangered Gray Wolf Found Dead in Northern California
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service announced a female gray wolf was found dead on February 5 in Shasta County.
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U.S. More Vulnerable Than Ever to Invasive Plants and Wildlife, Say Scientists
While national security has been a stated priority of the Trump administration, there is another growing threat in the U.S. that they are largely ignoring. The federal programs that coordinate to defend against invasive species of plants, animals and their far-reaching consequences are rapidly shrinking.
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Trump Administration Abandons Two National Monuments in Utah to Development
The U.S. Department of the Interior today released final Monument Management Plans and Records of Decision for lands within the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.
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Federal Court to Hear Arguments on Prince of Wales Timber Sale
The fate of old-growth trees in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest will be up for debate in federal court on Friday, as the judge hears oral argument in a lawsuit challenging a massive timber sale on Prince of Wales Island.
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Newsom Administration Appears to Backslide on Bay-Delta Conservation
The Newsom administration has released a new framework for voluntary agreements that could implement an update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan.
jcovey@defenders.org
