Birth of Rare Orca Calf Brings Hope

Great news: Tahlequah, the mother orca who carried her dead calf for 17 days and 1,000 miles in 2018, has given birth again — this time to a healthy newborn.

Southern Resident killer whales are a critically endangered population of orcas on the West Coast. The scarcity of the salmon they eat — plus pollution, noise and disturbance from boats — has driven them to the edge of extinction. Tahlequah's new calf brings their known population to just 73 whales.

For almost two decades, the Center for Biological Diversity has been working to save these killer whales. Last week we launched a lawsuit against the planned expansion of Seattle Harbor, which would hurt the orcas through more ship activity and dredging up toxic contaminants as the channel is enlarged.

Tahlequah's baby inspires us to keep fighting for these rare animals. You can support this work with a donation to our Saving Life on Earth Fund.

A Key Win for Washington Wolves

After pressure from the Center and our members and allies, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has directed his state's wildlife agency to draft new rules governing the killing of wolves over livestock conflicts.

Washington has killed 34 wolves since 2012 — with 29 dying at the behest of a single livestock owner. The new rules will better emphasize using nonlethal measures to resolve conflicts between livestock and wolves.

"This is a tremendous victory for Washington's wolves and all of us who have been speaking out against the state's relentless wolf-killing," said the Center's Sophia Ressler.

Thanks to all of you who've raised your voices. Learn more.

Take Action: Save Florida's Terrapins From Crab Traps

Diamondback terrapins are the wild jewels of Florida's coasts, but numerous threats could soon make them disappear. The state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is proposing measures to protect these turtles from being taken from the wild. But it needs to better address the countless number of terrapins drowning in crab traps every year.

Lured by bait, the turtles swim into the traps and can't escape. But there's a simple fix — inexpensive "bycatch-reduction devices" can stop most terrapins from getting into crab traps. And they have little or no effect on crab hauls.

Tell the commission you support protections to keep terrapins from drowning in traps.

Today: A Discussion on Saving Endangered Plants

Life on Earth is made possible by plants, but their importance is often overlooked. Join us later today for our next Saving Life on Earth webinar, featuring our Hawaii director and public lands deserts director, to learn about the Center's work to protect endangered plants around the country and how you can help.

The hour-long webinar starts at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET. You have to register to join, so sign up and then check your email for a link.

Wildlife Habitat Protection Is Under Attack — Again

The administration is now pushing even more rules to weaken habitat protections for endangered species. Its latest plan would radically change the existing process for deciding when to exclude a particular area from a critical habitat designation for wildlife or plants protected by the Endangered Species Act. It would give extra weight to industry claims of economic impacts, which can be highly speculative.

"Developers and polluters could basically veto any critical habitat protections for endangered species by claiming economic impacts, even without proof," said the Center's Noah Greenwald. "Wildlife simply can't survive or recover without places to live, but that's exactly what will happen if the administration succeeds in turning over the critical habitat designation process to industry."

Read more in The Hill.

Southern California's mountain lions are experiencing a baby boom. Between May and August, 13 kittens were born to five mothers in the Santa Monica Mountains and nearby Simi Hills. It's the first time so many dens have been found in the area, in such a short period of time, since scientists began tracking the big cats 18 years ago. Watch a video and learn more at HuffPost.

Despite the bumper crop of new cubs, these gravely imperiled mountain lions need our help in order to survive and thrive. Thanks to a Center petition, the cougars are currently being considered for protection under California's Endangered Species Act.

American Burying Beetle Loses Needed Protection

In a body blow to one of North America's coolest insects, the feds just downgraded American burying beetles from "endangered" to "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. This gives them less protection in the face of major threats, including the destruction of their habitat by the oil and gas industry. Making matters worse, new information shows climate change is decimating the species in the southern Plains.

Extinction is back on the table for this beautiful beetle and its fascinating mating ritual.

Read more.

Major Clearcut of Old Growth Proposed for Alaska's Tongass

The U.S. Forest Service just announced plans for a massive timber sale that would destroy more than 5,100 acres of old-growth habitat in Southeast Alaska's Tongass National Forest. Along with the agency's proposed rollback of "roadless rule" protections for the Tongass that have been in place since 2001, this is part of the administration's plan to decimate this centuries-old Alaskan rainforest.

"Clearcutting the Tongass and wiping out enormous carbon stores is like cutting off part of the planet's oxygen supply," said Randi Spivak, the Center's public lands director.

Read more.

Wild & Weird: The Ocean 'Grand Canyon' of California

Off the coast of California's Moss Landing lies Monterey Canyon, an ocean chasm roughly the size of the Grand Canyon. Relatively unknown until recently, it stretches for nearly 300 miles and is over 5,500 feet deep.

A 15-year project spearheaded by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, which uses autonomous underwater vehicles for mapping, has produced an animated map showing the ocean canyon is every bit as rugged and beautiful as its desert counterpart.

Read more and see animations of Monterey Canyon at Scientific American.