wildlife

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 ...

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 ...

2022 Begins Another Deadly Year for Manatees

by PEER | February 4, 2022
High Toll in January Adds Cold Stress as Another Factor Driving Mortality ...

Webinar | Pups and Packs: Saving Wolves in 2022

by PEER | January 25, 2022
Coffee Talk Webinar Series, Episode 1: A virtual conversation about wolves and policy in the US in 2022. Watch the video ...

Park Service Masks Cuts in Sea Turtle Recovery

by PEER | January 18, 2022
Deceptive Press Release Omits Mentions of Rollbacks and Restrictions ...