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Mike Leahy headshot
Washington, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Announces Mike Leahy as New Vice President of Government Relations

Defenders of Wildlife is pleased to announce Mike Leahy as its new Vice President of Government Relations.
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manta rays swimming in the shallow ocean with coral
Fort Myers, FL

Defenders of Wildlife Applauds Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for Tightening Protections for Listed Species

Defenders of Wildlife welcomes today’s action by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to end open permitting for the capture of ESA-threatened marine species in Florida waters for public display and exhibition purposes.
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NARW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Legal Intervention Aims to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales From Deadly Ship Strikes

Conservation groups today filed a motion to intervene to help fight a lawsuit aimed at overturning a seasonal speed rule protecting North Atlantic right whales from deadly vessel strikes. The groups want to defend the rule against a lawsuit brought by a New York vessel owner fined for violating seasonal speed limits. The suit alleges that NOAA Fisheries lacked the statutory authority to issue the rule.

Press Releases

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Manatee with baby
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Releases Regulations Endangering Imperiled Wildlife

Disregarding more than 800,000 public comments opposing its proposal to weaken implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Trump administration finalized its sweeping rewrite of ESA regulations that undermine the conservation of threatened and endangered species.
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Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monument
Washington, DC

72 percent of the Earth’s Ice Free Lands now Impacted by Exploitation for Food, Fiber, Fuels -- New IPCC Report Finds. Defenders of Wildlife Calls for Immediate Action to Reverse Course.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released new and comprehensive evidence that our lands are under siege from climate change.
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Grizzly bear with cubs
Anchorage, AK

Defenders of Wildlife Sues Interior Department Over Illegal Land Swap Deal in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

Defenders of Wildlife has filed suit in U.S. District Court to block the Interior Department’s decision to trade away internationally recognized, wilderness wetlands in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge to a private corporation.
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Marbled murrelet
Eugene, OR

Court: Oregon Illegally Denied Marbled Murrelet Endangered Species Protections

An Oregon judge has issued a decision concluding the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission violated Oregon law in denying a petition filed by five conservation groups demanding the commission uplist the murrelet from threatened to endangered under the Oregon Endangered Species Act.
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Border wall javelina
Washington, DC

Injunction Sought to Halt Trump’s Wall in Arizona

Conservation groups today asked a federal court to block construction of President Donald Trump’s border wall through protected wilderness in Arizona until a judge rules on a pending lawsuit.
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