Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders of Wildlife Welcomes Stefan Ekernas as New Vice President of Species Conservation & Coexistence

Defenders of Wildlife is proud to announce Stephan Ekernas as its new Vice President of Species Conservation and Coexistence, ...
Defenders of WildlifeOpinion

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 ...
Defenders of Wildlife

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 ...
Defenders of Wildlife

On 'Day Zero' for American Wildlife, Groups Across U.S. Denounce the Trump Administration's Attack on Endangered Species’ Habitat

Today, the Trump administration’s unprecedented move to strip imperiled species of protections for the places where they live went into effect. American wildlife including Florida manatees, grizzlies, ...
Defenders of Wildlife

Trump Administration Advances Roadless Rule Repeal at the Expense of Wildlife, Clean Water and Public Will

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today released its proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement seeking to rescind the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a bedrock law that protects 45 ...
Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders Sends Notice of Intent to Sue the Trump Administration over Rescission of ‘Harm’

Defenders of Wildlife today sent a letter to the Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce signaling its intent to sue over the administration’s rescission of the long-standing definition ...
Defenders of Wildlife

Find a National Wildlife Refuge Near You!

Across the United States and its territories is a system of federal lands dedicated to protecting and restoring wildlife. This system is, of course, the National Wildlife Refuge System. These refuges ...
Defenders of Wildlife

Stay Smart: Do’s and Don’ts of Exploring in Wolf Country

America’s iconic landscapes are filled with endless opportunities to recreate and are also home to a diverse array of wildlife, including gray wolves. As you lace up your boots or strap on your ...
Defenders of Wildlife

Final Rescission of Public Lands Rule Reverses Modern Land Management, Threatens Wildlife Habitat

The Bureau of Land Management today announced a decision to roll back the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule. The policy modernized how BLM manages ...
Defenders of Wildlife

America’s Wildlife Is Running Out of Room to Move. Congress Just Introduced a Fix

Across the West, pronghorn still migrate more than 150 miles between seasonal ranges. Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles across the continent, generation by generation. In cold mountain ...
Defenders of Wildlife

House Leadership Pulls Historic Vote Following Intense Public Pressure

The GOP Leadership in the House of Representatives today pulled its scheduled vote on Rep. Bruce Westerman’s (R-AR) ESA Amendments Act of 2025 — more aptly called the Extinction Act. The legislation ...