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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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grizzly bear in Alaska
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

Trump Administration Exploits Wildfires to Push Environmental Waivers, Destroy Forest Safeguards

Yesterday, Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke published an opinion article on CNN.com with a call to Congress to leverage the Farm Bill to reopen a

Trump Administration Tries to Bury Climate Change Assessment

The Trump administration released today the Fourth National Climate Assessment, measuring the impact of climate change on the U.S. and its territories. The federal government

Trump Administration Ignores Science, Pushes More Logging, Environmental Rollbacks

Today, Interior Secretary Zinke and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, held a briefing call on recent wildfires and forest management. They discussed the Trump administration’s

Orca Task Force Final Recommendations Good, Not Bold

Governor Jay Inslee’s emergency Orca Task Force released its final recommendations today. The recommendations include an increased commitment to funding salmon habitat restoration, increasing water

Last-Ditch Congressional Attack on Wolves Heads for Floor Vote

The House of Representatives will be holding a last-ditch vote to undermine the Endangered Species Act by stripping protections from most gray wolves across the
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