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NPS Land Swaps and Visitor Plan Open the Door to Devastating Impacts at Cumberland Island
In advance of a public hearing on proposed land exchanges on Cumberland Island National Seashore, Defenders of Wildlife called on the National Park Service to remedy a host of management issues facing one of the largest undeveloped barrier islands on the East Coast.
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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.
Press Releases
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Southern Resident Orcas Move Closer to Oregon Endangered Species Protections
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to advance a petition seeking to protect southern resident orcas under the state Endangered Species Act (ESA).
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Explosion After Launch at SpaceX in Texas Serves as Powerful Reminder of Risks in Experimental Rocketry
On April 20, 2023 SpaceX launched its fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket from their test facility in Boca Chica, Texas. This launch, Starship’s
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Conservation Groups Reach Settlement Requiring Bureau of Land Management to Abandon Rule Allowing Destruction of Pinyon-Juniper Habitats
Defenders of Wildlife and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) have reached a court-approved settlement agreement requiring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to abandon a decision authorizing extensive destruction of native pinyon pine and juniper habitats across the American West without requiring prior analysis and public disclosure of possible environmental impacts.
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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
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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.
jcovey@defenders.org
