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Public Domain
Washington, D.C.

House to Vote on Gutting Bedrock Endangered Species Act

As the nation celebrates Earth Day this week, the House of Representatives will cast an historic vote on a bill to eviscerate the Endangered Species Act, which was enacted more than 50 years ago to protect America’s wildlife from extinction.
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gray wolf walking with paw raised and looking at camera
Olympia, WA

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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gray wolf
Salem, OR

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

Press Releases

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Polar Bear
Washington, DC

Sen. Whitehouse, Rep. Cartwright Introduce Comprehensive Legislation to Combat Climate Change

Responding to increasing and pervasive impacts of climate change on both natural and human communities, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8) introduced the Safeguarding America’s Future and Environment (SAFE) Act in the Senate and House of Representatives today.
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Scientists' Call to Action: The U.S.-Mexico Border Wall Threatens Biodiversity and Binational Conservation
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Issues More Waivers of Law For Expedited Border Wall Construction in Wildlife Refuges and Protected Lands

As published in today’s Federal Register, the Trump administration announced it will waive dozens of environmental and public safety laws in more locations in Arizona and California in order to expedite border wall construction.
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California Tiger Salamander
Redding, CA

Fishing and Conservation Groups Sue Country's Largest Agricultural Water District Over Illegal Plot to Raise Shasta Dam

Yesterday, a coalition of fishing and conservation groups filed a lawsuit against Westlands Water District for unlawfully aiding efforts by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to raise Shasta Dam.
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Bald eagle
Washington, DC

House Appropriations Committee Moves to Fund, Protect Wildlife

Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement:  “Our nation’s wildlife is increasingly threatened by habitat loss, climate change and invasive species in what the United Nations has now confirmed as our planet’s sixth mass extinction. We haven’t a moment to spare. Congress must act to protect and restore wildlife by funding programs to preserve species and habitat.
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Scarlet_Macaw
Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Report: Scarlet Macaw Reintroduction Project Celebrates Five Years

Five years after the reintroduction of scarlet macaws into the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, leaders of the reintroduction project released a report detailing its progress. The report, “Slow but sure assimilation to culture and ecotourism of reintroduced scarlet macaws in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico,” was published in the Journal of Ecotourism on April 18, 2019.
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