Image
Mike Leahy headshot
Washington, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Announces Mike Leahy as New Vice President of Government Relations

Defenders of Wildlife is pleased to announce Mike Leahy as its new Vice President of Government Relations.
Image
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.
Image
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.

Press Releases

Image
Mojave Desert Tortoise
SACRAMENTO, CA

Defenders of Wildlife Applauds New Effort to Protect California’s Biodiversity

Defenders of Wildlife applauds State Sen. Dave Min for the introduction of State Senate Bill (SB) 337, which would establish a statewide goal to conserve
Image
Three Gray Wolves in the Snow
Portland, ORE.

Defenders of Wildlife Concerned By Oregon Wolf Population Stagnation as Poaching Increases

Today, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced that Oregon’s population of gray wolves saw a minimal increase from 175 wolves to 178. This concerning population stagnation is partially attributed to increased poaching incidents and state-sponsored lethal control efforts in response to livestock predations.
Image
North Atlantic Right Whales
Washington, DC

Defenders of Wildlife Urges Support for RESCUE Whales Act To Protect Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales

Introduced by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the bill would repeal a section of the FY2023 omnibus appropriations bill that significantly delays court-ordered regulatory action under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This is needed to help prevent the extinction of the North Atlantic right whale in the face of unsustainable lethal entanglements in the American lobster/Jonah crab fishery.
Image
lesser prairie chicken
Washington, DC

Defenders of Wildlife Opposes Congressional Attacks Seeking to Remove Lesser-Prairie Chicken and Northern Long-Eared Bat Protections

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a second hearing in as many months on bills sponsored by pro-extinction members attacking the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Image
Gray Wolf Howling in Snow - Montana
SEATTLE, Wash.

Washington Wolf Population Expands Despite High Mortality

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced that the state’s endangered gray wolf population has increased by 5% after they found 216 wolves during their annual count. It also announced the formation of the state’s first reestablished wolf pack in the South Cascades.
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