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A close up of the face of a Sierra Nevada Red Fox at the edge of a forest in Deschutes County, Oregon.
Washington, D.C.

Court Rules Habitat Must Be Protected After FWS Attempts to Waive Protections for Less Than 40 Sierra Nevada Red Fox

Defenders of Wildlife earned a significant victory for the Endangered Species Act today when a federal district court found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to not designate critical habitat for the endangered Sierra Nevada red fox was a violation of the law.
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Three sea otters float in the water. There are hills or mountains in the distance in the background.

Construction on Gateway to Road through Izembek Continues

The Ninth Circuit today denied Defenders of Wildlife’s emergency motion to halt construction on King Cove Corp.’s 2.8-mile road segment leading to the doorstep of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge and Wilderness. Defenders’ request for immediate injunctive relief marks the latest stage in its larger effort to block a damaging and precedent-setting road from King Cove to Cold Bay, Alaska, that would plow through the heart of Izembek.
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sea otter eye contact, CA

Rooted in Resilience: Sea Otter Awareness Week Returns for its 24th Year

Sea Otter Awareness Week is sponsored and organized by Defenders of Wildlife, Sea Otter Savvy, California State Parks, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Elakha Alliance and The Marine Mammal Center. Learn more about sea otters during Sea Otter Awareness Week at upcoming in-person and virtual events in California and Oregon.

Press Releases

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Swamp Lined with Trees
Washington, DC

Draft Mining Permits Spell Danger for Okefenokee Refuge

A damaging strip-mining plan threatening the country’s last intact freshwater ecosystem has moved one step closer to reality. On Feb. 9, the Georgia Environmental Protection
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2021.03.27 - Gray Wolf Laying in Snow - Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming - John Morrison
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Decries U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Inaction to List Gray Wolves

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it will not relist gray wolves of the Northern Rocky Mountain population to the Endangered Species Act.
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A Mountain Landscape, featuring Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina
Asheville, NC

Logging project in Nantahala National Forest violates federal law, new lawsuit alleges

On Wednesday, a coalition of conservation groups filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service, alleging the agency’s plans to log a sensitive area
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A dead North Atlantic right whale is seen stranded at Joseph Sylvia State Beach in Edgartown, Mass. Found on Sunday, the whale is a juvenile female, a devestating loss to the population.
Washington, DC

Young female endangered right whale found dead on Martha’s Vineyard beach

A North Atlantic right whale was found dead on a Martha’s Vineyard beach off the coast of Massachusetts on Sunday, Jan. 28. This juvenile female
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2022.08.28 - Two Orcas Swimming - Tongass National Forest - Alaska - Harvey Hergett-USFS.jpg

Defenders Statement on J-Pod Orca Calf Presumed Dead

The Southern resident orca calf reportedly born to the J-Pod at the end of December 2023 is presumed dead, according to the Center for Whale
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
Communications Specialist
estern@defenders.org
202-772-0243