Image
Offshore Oil Rig
Washington D.C.

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.
Image
Mt. Jefferson Landscape, Deschutes National Forest
Salem, OR

Oregon Governor Signs Historic Bill Investing in the Environment

Defenders of Wildlife is celebrating a monumental victory for wildlife, wild places and local economies in Oregon. Passed with bipartisan support and signed yesterday by
Image
Black-Footed Ferret Poking its Head Out
Washington, D.C.

Congress Urged to Fully Fund U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Restore Workforce

The Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife and more than 150 conservation groups today urged Congress to significantly increase the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget for endangered species conservation from $299 million to $870 million.

Press Releases

Image
Yosemite National Park
Washington, DC

Cantwell, Gallego, Udall, DeGette, Wyden Introduce Legislation to Permanently Protect Nearly 60 Million Acres of Wild Public Forests

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Congressman Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, introduced legislation today to permanently protect millions of acres of pristine national forests.
Image
Right Whale
Washington, DC

SAVE Right Whales Act Passes Out of Committee

Today, the House Natural Resources Committee marked up and passed the Scientific Assistance for Very Endangered (SAVE) Right Whales Act out of committee. The legislation would support the survival and recovery of the critically imperiled North Atlantic right whale.
Image
Bald eagle
Washington, DC

Interior Department Needs Leadership, Not Reorganization

Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, will testify before the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations today at 10:00 a.m.
Image
Southern_Resident_Orca
Seattle, WA

WA Legislature Funds Key Orca-Saving Measure

With support from Governor Inslee and 43 legislators in the House and Senate, the Washington State legislature included funding in its final state budget to convene a stakeholder forum recommended last fall by the Governor’s Southern Resident Orca Recovery Task Force.
Image
Ocelot looking up
Tucson, AZ

Final Jaguar Plan Inadequate For Recovery of Species in U.S.

Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released their final recovery plan for the jaguar. This plan, dated in 2018 but just released today, comes over two decades after the cat was granted protection under the Endangered Species Act and does not allot enough suitable habitat for recovery in the United States.
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