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Stefan Ekernas
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Welcomes Stefan Ekernas as New Vice President of Species Conservation & Coexistence

Defenders of Wildlife is proud to announce Stephan Ekernas as its new Vice President of Species Conservation and Coexistence, where he will oversee Defenders’ field conservation programs.
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brown bear
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

Trump Administration Opens Door to Bear Baiting, Den Hunting in Alaska Preserves

The National Park Service finalized a regulation that abdicates the agency's responsibility to manage wildlife in Alaska's national preserves, deferring instead to state regulations. Defenders of Wildlife condemns the rule, which mirrors a 2020 regulation promulgated by the first Trump administration that was later withdrawn and replaced in 2024.
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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.

Press Releases

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Rice's Whale
Washington, D.C.

Defenders Responds to ‘Graves Mistake’ in Rice’s Whale Protection

The House Natural Resources Committee late yesterday approved H.R. 6008, a bill by Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), that threatens the critically endangered Rice’s whale with
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Male Gray Wolf in Autumn Forest - kjekol - iStockphoto
Denver, CO

Defenders Responds to Fish and Wildlife Rule on Gray Wolf Reintroduction in Colorado

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its final 10(j) rule on Colorado gray wolf reintroduction which will take effect on December 8, 2023
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Animal collage in the shape of the United States_USFWS
Washington, DC

New Defenders Report Shows Locations in the United States Most Impacted by Biodiversity Crisis

Defenders of Wildlife today released a first-of-its-kind report that maps out where the five drivers of the global biodiversity crisis — habitat loss, pollution, climate change, invasive species and overexploitation — may have the greatest impact in the contiguous United States. This work is the first to analyze all five threats together at the national scale and the first to find that climate change, rather than habitat loss, endangers the greatest number of the nation’s most imperiled species.
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Headshot image of Jamie Clark
Washington, D.C.

Clark Announces Change at Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark today announced her decision to step down from her position in 2024. Clark has served Defenders for 20 years, including the last 13 as president and CEO.
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North Atlantic Right Whale

House Interior Appropriations Bill Slashes Funding for Imperiled Species, Eviscerates Endangered Species Act Protections

The U.S. House of Representatives just passed an atrocious Interior and Environment funding bill for FY24, which slashed funding for imperiled species, eviscerated longstanding protections
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