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Bar-tailed Godwits in marsh in NPR-A
Washington, D.C.

Senate Vote Threatens Protections for Alaska’s Western Arctic

The Senate today approved a resolution utilizing the Congressional Review Act to rollback Biden-era protections for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. This misuse of the CRA
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Horshoe crabs
Dewey Beach, DE

Fisheries Commission Adopts Short-Term Protections for Delaware Bay Ecosystem

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission today set a two-year pause on the bait harvest of female horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay, declining to adopt
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2021.11.26 - A small herd of caribou in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge - Alaska - Katrina Liebich-UWFWS.jpeg
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

DOI Trades Away Alaskan Refuges, Sells Out Public Lands

The Trump administration dealt a blow to the National Wildlife Refuge System by removing protections from the Arctic and Izembek National Wildlife Refuges. During what

Press Releases

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Fall colors in Izembek wilderness
Anchorage, AK

Court to Revisit Decision to Develop Road Through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals will revisit a decision that upheld a land exchange that would make way for a road that would run through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. On November 10, the court threw out the Trump-era decision and ordered a rehearing of the case.
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Shortfin mako
Washington, D.C.

Shortfin Mako Denied Federal Protections

The highly imperiled shortfin mako shark is being denied federal protection by NOAA Fisheries, which will release its 12-month review of the species this week. In the Federal Register, NOAA Fisheries stated that a listing under the federal Endangered Species Act is ‘not warranted.’ In June 2022, Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity threatened to sue the agency for failing to meet its statutory deadline to make this decision.
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Lone horseshoe crab
Long Branch, NJ

Fisheries Commission Takes Cautious Approach on Proposal That Threatens Red Knots in Delaware Bay

Conservation groups, including Defenders of Wildlife, commended today’s decision by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to forego, for now, authorizing a bait harvest of female horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay, where the crabs’ eggs fuel a globally significant stopover habitat for migratory shorebirds.
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Mother Grizzly Bear with Cub - North Twin Lakes - Oregon
SEATTLE, Wash.

Wildlife Advocates Applaud Restart of Process to Return Grizzly Bears to North Cascades

Conservation groups and other wildlife advocates applaud the Biden administration’s announcement today that it is restarting the process required to return grizzly bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem (NCE) - a large network of mostly protected public lands that spans from northwest Washington State into British Columbia and includes North Cascades National Park.
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I Voted sticker
Washington, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Statement on the 2022 Election Results

Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, issued the following statement in response to the preliminary results from yesterday's midterm election:
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
Communications Specialist
kirby@defenders.org
(202) 772-3268