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Washington State 2025 Wolf Count Increases, Depredations Decrease
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife today released the state’s 2025 minimum count for gray wolves at 270 individuals, a 17% increase from 2024
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Oregon Releases 2025 Annual Wolf Count, Numbers Up
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife today issued its 2025 gray wolf annual report, announcing an increase in the wolf population for a new
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Defenders of Wildlife Challenges Unprecedented “God Squad” Exemption Allowing Unchecked Gulf Oil Drilling
Defenders of Wildlife today announced it is taking legal action to overturn an unprecedented and unlawful decision by the Endangered Species Committee, known as the “God Squad,” to exempt federal authorizations of oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico through a blanket exemption from the Endangered Species Act’s protections.
Press Releases
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Trump Administration Signs New Deal for Disastrous Road through Izembek Refuge
Less than four months after the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska struck down the Trump administration’s agreement to trade away internationally recognized, wilderness wetlands in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to a private corporation, the Interior Department has reportedly signed another land swap deal to facilitate road construction through the reserve.
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Report: Rescinding Utah Roadless Rule Would Harm Wildlife, Ecosystems
A report released today by Defenders of Wildlife documents the exceptional wildlife values of Utah’s national forest roadless areas and illustrates how the state’s proposed
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Lawsuit Launched to Protect Imperiled Dunes Sagebrush Lizard in Texas, New Mexico
Conservation groups filed a notice today of their intent to sue the Trump administration for failing to protect the severely imperiled dunes sagebrush lizard under the Endangered Species Act.
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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.
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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.
jcovey@defenders.org
