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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

Forest Ecology, Wildlife Experts to Farm Bill Conferees: Reject the House Farm Bill

Today 16 leading experts in forest ecology and management, including esteemed professors Norman Christensen of Duke University and Jerry Franklin of the University of Washington
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Border wall comparison Matt Clark/Defenders

Petition Asks U.S. Supreme Court to Overturn Border Wall Decision

Three conservation groups filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court today asking for a review of a federal court ruling that allowed the Trump

Department of Agriculture Proposes New Solutions to Protect Forests

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators announced a new strategy for improving wildfire management across the nation’s forestlands today

Death of Third Southern Resident Orca

Southern resident orca J-pod lost another member today, four-year-old female J50, despite emergency human intervention with medical treatment and attempted hand feeding. J50’s failing health

Report: Endangered Species Act Recovery Plans Missing, Delayed and Old

Today, Defenders of Wildlife’s Center for Conservation Innovation has published a paper in the journal Conservation Letters on the Endangered Species Act (ESA), entitled “Missing
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