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Washington, DC

BLM Prepares Illegal Move to Open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge to Oil & Gas, a Dangerous Precedent for Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife is calling on BLM to withdrawal an unprecedented proposal to open Ouray National Wildlife Refuge in Utah to new oil and gas leasing.
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Jake Li Testimony at EPW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

A Much-Needed Win for Wildlife: Senate Introduces Bill to Improve Endangered Species Act Implementation

Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Pete Rickets (R-NE) today introduced the Improving Species Recovery Act, an important bipartisan bill that would improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act.
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Porcupine caribou making its way through deep snow on the East Fork of the Chandalar River
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Enough is Enough: Senate Blocks Yet Another Attempt to Prioritize Drilling in the Arctic

The Senate today blocked an attempt to pass S. 5438, introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK). The bill would have ratified and approved all authorizations, permits, verifications, extensions, biological opinions, incidental take statements and any other approvals or orders issued pursuant to federal law necessary for the establishment and administration of the Coastal Plain oil and gas leasing program, among other purposes.

Press Releases

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Prairie dogs
Laramie, WY

Forest Service Proposes Gutting Wildlife Protections on Thunder Basin National Grassland

Today the U.S. Forest Service made public their proposal to amend the Thunder Basin National Grassland management plan to strip protections for prairie dogs and the habitat they create for numerous species.
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Black wolf yellowstone
Portland, OR

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Releases Overdue Wolf Conservation and Management Plan Proposals

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released its proposed edits to the Wolf Conservation and Management Plan (Wolf Plan).
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Bald eagle
Washington, DC

Senate Confirms Ethics Challenged, Ex-Oil and Gas Lobbyist for Interior Secretary

The Senate voted to confirm Acting Secretary David Bernhardt to be Secretary of the Interior (56-41).
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Mexican_gray_wolf
Tucson, AZ

Annual Mexican Wolf Count Emphasizes Need for Continued Recovery Efforts

Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released the official Mexican gray wolf population count for November 2018 through January 2019. According to the
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OR-13, a female gray wolf of the Wenaha pack
Portland, OR

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Releases Annual Wolf Report

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) released its annual wolf report today. The reported counts include 137 individual wolves, 16 packs (four or
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lsheehan@defenders.org
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jcovey@defenders.org
Communications Specialist
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Communications Specialist
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