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manta rays swimming in the shallow ocean with coral
Fort Myers, FL

Defenders of Wildlife Applauds Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for Tightening Protections for Listed Species

Defenders of Wildlife welcomes today’s action by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to end open permitting for the capture of ESA-threatened marine species in Florida waters for public display and exhibition purposes.
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NARW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Legal Intervention Aims to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales From Deadly Ship Strikes

Conservation groups today filed a motion to intervene to help fight a lawsuit aimed at overturning a seasonal speed rule protecting North Atlantic right whales from deadly vessel strikes. The groups want to defend the rule against a lawsuit brought by a New York vessel owner fined for violating seasonal speed limits. The suit alleges that NOAA Fisheries lacked the statutory authority to issue the rule.
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sage grouse in snow at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge
Washington, D.C.

Final Rescission of Public Lands Rule Reverses Modern Land Management, Threatens Wildlife Habitat

The Bureau of Land Management today announced a decision to roll back the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule. The policy modernized how BLM manages our national public lands and represented the critical incorporation of ecological resilience into management alongside traditional resource extraction.

Press Releases

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Right Whale
Atlanta, GA

Conservation groups in court to save highly endangered whales

Right whales' only known calving grounds threatened by Navy project.
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Photo contest image
Washington, DC

Wild bumble bees teeter on brink of extinction

Conservation groups and scientists ask the USDA to protect wild bumble bees from disease.
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Python
Washington, DC

Nine invasive snakes proposed for import ban

Restrictions on imports could help prevent environmental damage.
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Polar bears
Anchorage, AK

Shell Oil Chukchi Sea drilling plans challenged

Conservation and Alaska Native groups called for a timeout on oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean’s Chukchi Sea yesterday, filing a legal challenge against Shell
Washington, DC

Environmental groups applaud state for taking enforcement action against coal landfill

Environmental groups announced their support today for the Maryland Department of the Environment's decision to take enforcement action against Mirant MD Ash Management, LLC and Mirant Mid-Atlantic, LLC for violations of the federal Clean Water Act and state law at the Brandywine coal ash landfill.
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