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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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Southern Resident Orca Recovery Task Force Releases Final Year Two Report to Gov. Inslee
Washington’s Southern Resident Orca Recovery Task Force today released the final version of its recommendations in year two for saving southern resident orcas from extinction.
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ADVISORY: Rally to Stop the Border Wall, Save Organ Pipe National Monument
Supporters of Organ Pipe and those who oppose a border wall slashing through this precious and sacred land are taking a stand.
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California Spotted Owl Denied Critical Federal Protections
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will deny the California spotted owl federal Endangered Species Act protections.
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Panther Killed by Vehicle Collision in Collier County, Site of Future Toll Roads
An 8 to 10-week-old female Florida panther was killed by a vehicle on State Route 29 at Owl Hammock curve just south of Immokalee in Collier County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The news comes only months after Governor DeSantis signed a bill authorizing the construction of three new toll highways, one of which would stretch through some of the endangered panther’s last remaining habitats in Collier County.
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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.
jcovey@defenders.org
