Wildlife Protection

Senior Counsel

Peter has been an environmental, land use, and consumer attorney and advocate since 1983. He has held various roles in Washington, DC including Of Counsel at the Center for Food Safety; Vice President for U.S. Government Policy at Conservation International; Director of International Conservation at Defenders of Wildlife; and Staff Attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Additionally, he worked as a contracted consultant on endangered species recovery efforts with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Turner Endangered Species Fund in New Mexico. Prior to that, he served as an Attorney and Policy Analyst for the U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, and was also in private law practice. His career has centered on bringing the best science to bear in environmental protection efforts; he has specialized in working with scientists so their findings can inform good policy, as well as in federal litigation. Most of his work has been in aid of wildlife conservation in the fields of pesticides, genetically modified organisms, invasive species, wildlife disease prevention, international trade, land use conflicts, and other areas. Peter received his law degree from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law and also has a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, with a focus on conservation biology.

COMMENTARY | Preventing Future Zoonotic Pandemics

by Peter Jenkins | May 18, 2022
Four policy steps to reduce zoonotic disease risks and prevent future pandemics that stem from human interaction with wildlife ...

FACTSHEET | Federal Wildlife Funding: Pittman-Robertson Act

by PEER | May 15, 2022
The Pittman-Robertson Act was enacted in 1937 was intended to promote preservation and restoration of wildlife habitats ...

Foreign Research Vessels Free to Wreak Eco-Havoc

by PEER | April 14, 2022
No Notice, Permits, or Monitoring; Mass Beaching of Rare Whales Probed ...

Another Record Manatee Mortality Year Unfolding

by PEER | March 11, 2022
400 Manatee Perish in First Two Months as Seagrasses Continue Retreat ...

PEERMail | Migratory Bird Whistleblower Case Goes to Judge

by Tim Whitehouse | February 22, 2022
Whistleblower case highlights the Biden administration failing to protect employees who stood up to the excesses of the Trump presidency ...

STATEMENT | Federal Protections Restored to Gray Wolves

by Hudson Kingston | February 11, 2022
A federal judge today reinstated Endangered Species Act protections for the gray wolves but our work to protect these apex predators is far from over ...