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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 walking in Arctic Refuge
Washington, DC

Bureau of Land Management Fast-Tracks Arctic Refuge Seismic Permits

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is reviewing a permit application for seismic exploration for the fragile coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Seismic exploration would profoundly impact this important landscape for decades, scarring the tundra, damaging critical habitat for imperiled polar bears and potentially causing the death of denning mother bears with cubs.
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A Key deer at National Key Deer Wildlife Refuge on Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys
Washington, DC

Finding Refuge: Endangered Species and the National Wildlife Refuge System

Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge Association used hundreds of federal documents and data to develop an up-to-date list of species found on the National Wildlife Refuge System. In a new report, they found that 513 ESA-listed species—nearly one-third of all U.S.-listed species—are found on (or depend on) at least 444 of the 568 wildlife refuges.
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Howling gray wolf yellowstone
Washington, DC

Senate Hearing to Examine Amendments to Endangered Species Act

Jamie Rappaport Clark, Former president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife, will testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works today at
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Polar Bears
Anchorage, AK

Groups sue Trump agency for illegal plan to expand leasing, drilling in the Reserve

Six groups filed a lawsuit Monday, August 24 in U.S. District Court charging the U.S. Bureau of Land Management with breaking the law by advancing a new management plan for Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve that would give the vast majority of the nation’s largest unit of public land to oil companies. This effort to expand fossil fuel exploitation in the western Arctic would increase harmful climate impacts, diminish public health, degrade land, water and air, and encroach on long-protected areas vital to wildlife and people.
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Polar Bear mother and cubs
Washington, DC

Federal Government Completes Plan to Sell Out Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Big Oil

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today issued a Record of Decision (ROD) finalizing the agency’s reckless plan to lease the coastal plain of the
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