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2023.11.19 - Pinyon Jay in tree - Topaz Lake, Nevada -  by JC Bleam.jpg
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

First-of-its-Kind Study Sheds Light on Forest Thinning Impacts on Pinyon Jays

Though the pinyon jay population continues to decline at alarming rates, until now the threats facing it remained largely under-researched. Defenders of Wildlife, along with
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green sea turtle
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Trump Administration Calls on “God Squad” to Weaken Endangered Species Act Protections

The Trump administration today announced its intent to convene the Endangered Species Committee — colloquially known as the “God Squad”— on March 31, 2026, to consider an exemption under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for oil and gas-related activities in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Washington monument - cherry blossoms
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Defenders of Wildlife Unveils 2025 Conservation Report Card for 119th Congress

Defenders of Wildlife today released its 2025 Conservation Report Card for the 119th Congress, measuring members’ commitment to upholding federal laws that protect wildlife conservation during its first session.

Press Releases

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Right Whale Catalog #3101- Harmonia with her Newborn Calf approx. 7 nautical miles off Cumberland Island, GA
Washington, D.C.

Court Upholds Federal Action to Protect Right Whales From Deadly Entanglements in Lobster Gear

A federal court has rejected a lobster industry attack on the science supporting recent federal efforts to protect critically endangered right whales from deadly entanglements in lobster gear. The industry sued NOAA Fisheries, and Defenders of Wildlife, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Conservation Law Foundation intervened to defend the science.
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golden cheeked warbler
Washington, D.C.

New Study Highlights More Than Three Decades of Suitable Habitat Decline for Golden-Cheeked Warbler

A new study by Defenders of Wildlife's Center for Conservation Innovation, “Spatiotemporal patterns in Golden-cheeked warbler breeding habitat quantity and suitability," was published last week in the scientific journal Avian Conservation and Ecology.
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Florida panther
Juno Beach, Fla.

Defenders of Wildlife Encouraged by Photos of Florida Panther at Renewable Energy Project

Newly captured images of a Florida panther, taken by a remote camera set up at the Florida Power & Light Company Sawgrass Solar Energy Center in Hendry Co., show that renewable energy projects can be designed in ways that allow wildlife to continue to share the landscape.
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southern resident orca
Seattle, Wash.

Energy, Fishing, and Conservation Groups Respond to Washington Lawmakers' Presumptive Plan for Snake River Dam Replacement

Defenders of Wildlife and groups across the Northwest are calling on elected leaders from the region to fulfill their commitment to salmon restoration in the Columbia Basin, including breaching the four lower Snake River dams as soon as possible.
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Great Egret in flight in Okefenokee NWR
Savannah, Ga.

Defenders of Wildlife Disappointed by Reversal of Okefenokee Oversight

In response to the announcement by the Army Corps of Engineers that they settled a lawsuit filed by the mining company, Twin Pines Minerals, Defenders of Wildlife released the following statement.
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