Image
Rice's Whale
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders Slams Unlawful God Squad Vote to Strip Endangered Species Act Protection from Wildlife in the Gulf

Defenders of Wildlife strongly opposes today’s vote by the Endangered Species Committee, or God Squad, to condemn species to extinction in the name of a fictitious “national security emergency.”
Image
Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge at sunset
Washington, D.C.

Court Victory for Florida Wetlands Protection

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled today that permits to build in wetlands should stay in the hands of
Image
Willet
Washington, D.C.

Sec. of Defense Invokes False “National Security” Rationale to Eviscerate Endangered Species Act Protections for Wildlife in the Gulf

In a litigation filing yesterday in federal district court, the Trump administration publicly admitted for the first time that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum scheduled a snap meeting of the Endangered Species Committee (the “God Squad”) for March 31 at the request of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Press Releases

Image
Defenders of Wildlife Logo
Washington, DC

Interior Bureaus Need Resources, Not Reorganization

News outlets are reporting that the Trump administration will essentially eliminate the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Washington DC headquarters and transfer senior leadership and the majority of the office’s roughly 500 employees to new headquarters in Grand Junction, Colorado, and other locations in the West.
Image
Gray Wolf
Washington, DC

1.8 Million Americans Speak Out Against Stripping Federal Protections from Wolves

Almost two million Americans stated their opposition to the Trump administration’s proposal to strip endangered species protections from gray wolves in a comment period that closed today.
Image
Right Whale
Washington, DC

Statement on Gov. Janet Mills’ Letter to Abandon Federal Risk Reduction for the Right Whale

Yesterday, Maine Governor Janet T. Mills sent a letter announcing she will not accept federal guidelines for reducing risk to the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale.
Image
Mexican_gray_wolf

Study Confirms Political Interference in Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery

A new study released today confirms politics rather than scientific data played a role in influencing criteria for listing and reintroduction efforts for the Mexican gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act.
Image
Capitol Building
Washington, DC

The ‘Recovering America’s Wildlife Act’ Does Not Adequately Respond to the Extinction Crisis

Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) introduced the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) today in the House of Representatives. The legislation would amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to fund the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Subaccount to support management of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and other purposes.
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