Defenders of Wildlife Releases Wildlife Conservation Agenda to Trump Transition Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Haley McKey, hmckey@defenders.org, 202-772-0247 (office), 571-480-2113 (cell)

Jennifer Witherspoon, jwitherspoon@defenders.org, 202-772-0269 (office), 415-298-0582 (cell) 

WASHINGTON (December 15, 2016) – Defenders of Wildlife released its Wildlife Conservation Agenda to President-elect Trump’s transition team today, calling on the next administration to protect endangered species, manage public lands responsibly and take a leadership role on wildlife conservation, based on sound science.

Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark issued this statement:

“President-elect Trump will soon take responsibility for preserving and protecting our nation’s rich natural heritage, its wildlife and lands, its waters and forests. This vital legacy lies at the heart of our quality of life and sense of national identity, but wildlife and its habitat face pressing challenges today and in the coming years.  Our Wildlife Conservation Agenda is a guidepost for conservation efforts by the new administration over the next four years.

“While the statements and nominations made by President-elect Trump raise deep concerns regarding his commitment to the environment, wildlife conservation should not be a partisan issue.  And wildlife can’t wait for four years.  We need to take action now to recover endangered species, protect precious natural habitat and address the urgent challenges of climate change and wildlife trafficking.

“Our Wildlife Conservation Agenda is intended to inform the new administration of the many challenges facing wildlife and public lands in the coming years and the actions we need to take together to address those challenges.  And we hope, notwithstanding his record to date, that it will inspire President-elect Trump to take on the mantle of conservation leadership handed down by past presidents, Republican and Democratic, who established our great systems of federal lands and signed into law the Endangered Species Act and other cornerstone environmental laws.

“We will look for appropriate opportunities to work with President-elect Trump and his administration to better protect wildlife and its habitat, and to promote sound management of our federal public lands for the benefit of all Americans.  But we will also measure the Trump administration’s commitment to wildlife and habitat conservation against Defenders’ Wildlife Conservation Agenda and if the new president and his administration fall short, we will hold them accountable.”

Background:

Defenders’ Wildlife Conservation Agenda includes a Call to Action for the next administration:

1. Protect and restore our endangered and threatened plants and wildlife.

2. Defend and responsibly manage our federal public lands.

3. Invest in responsible renewable energy development that minimizes impacts to wildlife.

4. Protect wildlife from the impacts of climate change.

5. Encourage initiatives by private landowners, states and tribes to conserve imperiled species and habitats.

6. Strengthen our role as an international leader in imperiled species conservation.

7. Help our youth and diverse and changing communities connect with our federal public lands and wildlife conservation heritage.

8. Maintain our commitment to conservation based on sound science.

These eight priorities are the core of the conservation agenda we propose to the next administration. Working together, we can prevent species extinction, safeguard and restore our wildlife and public lands and proudly uphold our conservation legacy for future generations.

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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org and follow us on Twitter @DefendersNews.