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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Memo Underscores Trump Administration’s All-Fronts War on Wildlife
Brian Nesvik, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, issued a memorandum explaining to FWS staff that the Endangered Species Act’s prohibition on unauthorized “take” applies only to affirmative acts intentionally and purposefully directed at a particular animal. This follows the Trump administration’s rescission of the regulatory definitions of “harm” under the ESA, which took effect this week.
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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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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.
Press Releases
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North Atlantic Right Whale Hearing Highlights Dire Threat of Vessel Strikes
In response to today’s hearing on National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association’s proposed changes to its 2008 vessel speed ruling, Jane Davenport, senior attorney with Defenders
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Rare Wolverine Spotted in Eastern Sierra
What is believed to be a single wolverine was caught on camera multiple times within several days in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Experts agree that
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Defenders of Wildlife Opposes Governor Newsom's Latest Bill Package, Citing Concerns for Imperiled Wildlife and Lack of Public Engagement
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a surprise package of “budget trailer bills” late last week designed to limit permitting requirements for contentious projects such as the Delta Conveyance Project and Sites Reservoir. Newsom’s proposal encompasses various topics intended to streamline California’s infrastructure development but, in the process, undermines bedrock environmental laws that protect imperiled wildlife.
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Defenders of Wildlife Celebrates Red Wolf Conservation on Endangered Species Day
Defenders of Wildlife staff joined communities from the Charlotte, North Carolina region on May 20 to celebrate and contribute to Red Wolf conservation in honor of Endangered Species Day.
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Offshore Wind Development and California Wildlife
Defenders of Wildlife’s California Representative, Andrew Johnson, testified before the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture in the California Legislature on May 17. Following the
jcovey@defenders.org
