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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condemns the rule, which mirrors a 2020 regulation promulgated by the first Trump administration that was later withdrawn and replaced in 2024.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.
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Jake Li Testimony at EPW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

A Much-Needed Win for Wildlife: Senate Introduces Bill to Improve Endangered Species Act Implementation

Senators Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Pete Rickets (R-NE) today introduced the Improving Species Recovery Act, an important bipartisan bill that would improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act.

Press Releases

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Wild Red Wolf Puppies, 2023
East Lake, NC

New Litter of Red Wolf Pups Born in the Wild

The Red Wolf Recovery Program this week announced the birth of a new litter of wild Red Wolf puppies, three females and two males. These pups, along with a cross-fostered male pup born at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, will join the Milltail Pack in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Eastern North Carolina bringing the pack numbers to 13 wolves.
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Duffy Lake view through trees - Oregon
Washington, DC

Defenders Opposes Reckless Senate Vote To Prevent Increased Protections for Bat Species Heading Towards Extinction

Defenders of Wildlife strongly opposes the Senate’s passage of legislation brought under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to remove the endangered status for northern long-eared
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Lesser Prairie Chicken
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Condemns Pro-Extinction Senate Vote to Delist Lesser Prairie-Chicken

Today, in a 50-48 vote, the U.S. Senate passed legislation to delist threatened and endangered populations of lesser prairie-chicken using the Congressional Review Act (CRA).
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Gray Wolf in Snowy Landscape
Denver, CO

Colorado Finalizes Plan to Reintroduce Gray Wolves

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission today adopted the final draft of the agency’s Wolf Restoration and Management Plan with a unanimous vote. This comes after nearly two years of collecting input from a broad range of stakeholders, including ranchers, scientists, hunters, advocates, wolf experts and community members.  
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A Lesser Prairie Chicken male in New Mexico
Washington, DC

Defenders Opposes Senate Legislation to Strip Protections from Endangered Bird

The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote today on S.J Res. 9, an unprecedented attack on the Endangered Species Act, that if made law could
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