Defenders Denounces Administration's Alarming Proposed Budget Cuts to Wildlife Conservation

Defenders of Wildlife today condemned the Trump administration's reckless FY27 budget proposal that calls on Congress to slash critical funding vital to wildlife conservation. Chris Westfall, senior government relations legislative counsel at Defenders of Wildlife, released the following statement in response:

"The administration is yet again demanding that an overworked and grossly understaffed federal workforce do more with less. The proposed budget recklessly consolidates U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and National Marine Fisheries without the needed resources to preserve scientific expertise, opens our lands and waters to extractive industries and hollows out the already strained workforce that provide crucial conservation work. This proposed budget pushes us further in the wrong direction - potentially triggering even more staff layoffs and providing less resources for wildlife conservation, which are pivotal to recovering America's imperiled species. Our nation's lands and the wildlife that depend on them for habitat deserve better than to be ignored by agencies that are shells of their former selves."

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For over 75 years, Defenders of Wildlife has remained dedicated to protecting all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With a nationwide network of nearly 2.1 million members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroomor follow us on X @Defenders.

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