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black-footed ferret at the nat'l black-footed ferret conservation center
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Slams SPEED Act as it Speeds Toward Habitat Destruction

Defenders of Wildlife condemns Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) SPEED ACT, H.R. 4776 the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act, ahead of Thursday’s expected floor vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Roaming mountain goat
Washington, D.C.

ESA Amendments Act Poses a Historic Threat to America’s Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife remains on high alert as it braces for the House Natural Resources Committee’s full markup of Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) Endangered Species Amendments Act of 2025. More aptly labeled the Extinction Act, the bill seeks to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, stripping away decades of crucial protections for America’s wildlife and their habitats.
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gray wolf walking with paw raised and looking at camera
Washington, D.C.

House Vote Scheduled on Ending Gray Wolf Protections, Undermining the Endangered Species Act

The House of Representatives is expected this Thursday to vote on ending gray wolf protections, prematurely delisting gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act before

Press Releases

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Greater_Sage-Grouse_male
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Rolls Back Sage-Grouse Protections Across the West

Revisions to the Obama-era plans will lessen protections for the sage-grouse on tens of millions of acres across the West.
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Right Whale
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Targets Atlantic for Risky, Dangerous Drilling

Acting Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt announced that the Atlantic will be included in the 5-year offshore leasing plan for oil and gas development.
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Scientists' Call to Action: The U.S.-Mexico Border Wall Threatens Biodiversity and Binational Conservation
Washington, DC

House Bill Aims to Repeal Waiver Authority for Border Wall

The bill will amend broad authority granted to the Secretary of Homeland Security to unilaterally waive “all legal requirements” to construct barriers along the border.
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Bald eagle
Washington, DC

Nation’s Wildlife Faces Unprecedented Challenges, Extinction

Former president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife Jamie Rappaport Clark will testify on the state of wildlife in front of the House Natural Resources
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Right Whale
Washington, DC

House Introduces the SAVE Right Whales Act

The legislation would support the recovery of the critically imperiled North Atlantic right whale.
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
jpetrequin@defenders.org
(202) 772-0243
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268