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A sea otter in Monterey Bay
Washington, DC

House to Take Up Bills Torching Wildlife Protections

A draft discussion bill headed for a hearing with the House Natural Resources Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee on Tuesday is poised to tear apart
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Two orcas swimming in a body of water. The orca on the left is jumping out of the water and the one on the right is breaching, just poking its dorsal fin and tops of head out. There are faint mountains in the background.
Washington, DC

New Bill Would Gut Marine Mammal Protections

Rep. Nicholas Begich (R-AK) introduced a draft bill today that would eviscerate the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the sole federal law protecting marine mammals in
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US Capitol Building Washington DC
Washington, D.C.

Senate Budget Reconciliation Strikes Heart of American Wildlife, Wild Places

Defenders of Wildlife hammered the Senate’s version of the budget reconciliation bill for striking at the heart of America’s wildlife and wild places.

More Polar Bear Press Releases

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Polar Bear
Washington, DC

Congress Re-introduces Bicameral Legislation to Protect Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Following the Trump administration’s last desperate effort to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas lease sales earlier this year, members of Congress reintroduced the Arctic Refuge Protection Act.
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Polar Bears
Washington, DC

Trump Administration Attempt to Sell Out the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Flops

Today’s lease sale for the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge continues the Trump administration’s destructive attack on our nation’s public lands and wildlife. Today, three entities were identified as the successful bidders on 11 tracts, yielding a paltry $7 million to the federal treasury because the state of Alaska receives half of the sale price of $14 million. The failed lease sale underscores a lack of interest in developing the Arctic refuge and sets up an incoming Biden administration to reverse course to permanently protect the refuge.
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Polar Bear
Anchorage, AK

Bureau of Land Management Finalizes Western Arctic Drilling Plan

Today, the Bureau of Land Management released the Record of Decision for a revised Integrated Activity Plan for the 22 million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (Reserve), located in the state’s Western Arctic region.
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Polar Bears
Anchorage, AK

Groups rush to court to stop ConocoPhillips’ Willow project winter road construction and gravel mining

Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic and five allied groups filed a motion in the U.S. District Court today requesting a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to stop ConocoPhillips from starting winter road construction and gravel mining for its Willow project.
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Polar Bear family, Churchill, Manitoba
Anchorage, AK

Indigenous, allied groups go to court to stop issuance of Arctic Refuge leases

The Gwich’in Steering Committee and 12 allied groups filed a motion in U.S. District Court today requesting a preliminary injunction to stop the U.S. Bureau of Land Management from issuing any leases sold in the Jan. 6 sale of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and from authorizing seismic exploration activities.
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