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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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U.S. Supreme Court Chooses Not to Hear Kenai Bear-baiting Case
The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately chose not to hear a challenge to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) authority to manage wildlife on national wildlife refuge land. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had upheld a 2016 FWS regulation that, among other things, prohibits brown bear baiting on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
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Petition Seeks to Protect Pygmy Rabbit Under Endangered Species Act
Conservation organizations, including Defenders of Wildlife, submitted a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today requesting protection of the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered Species ActConservation organizations, including Defenders of Wildlife, submitted a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today requesting protection of the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered Species Act.
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Defenders Applauds New DOI Bison Restoration Framework
Defenders of Wildlife Senior Representative for Rockies and Plains Chamois Andersen issued a statement in response to an announcement by the Interior Department regarding planned action to restore bison populations as part of a new restoration and resilience framework.
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Defenders of Wildlife to Honor 50 Years of U.S. Endangered Species Act Throughout 2023
The 50th anniversary of the passage of the Endangered Species Act marks a monumental American victory in defending wildlife against extinction. This anniversary, on December 28, 2023, is an opportunity to highlight this important wildlife law. Throughout 2023, Defenders of Wildlife will mark the occasion with events, stories and more.
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Defenders of Wildlife Urges Congress To Address Biodiversity and Climate Crises in Farm Bill
As hearings begin on the renewal of the Farm Bill, Defenders of Wildlife is encouraging Congress to address our nation’s joint biodiversity and climate crises, livestock-wildlife conflict prevention, equitable access and accountability.
jcovey@defenders.org
