Robert P. Davison

Senior Scientist, Endangered Species and Wildlife Conservation


Areas of Expertise: Endangered Species Act, fisheries and wildlife policy, science-based wildlife management

Bob Davison is a key member of Defenders’ Endangered Species Act policy team. He is responsible for analyzing proposed legislative or administrative changes to the Act; developing policies and proposals for maintaining and strengthening the Act; educating policymakers, the public, and the media on such policies and proposals; and cultivating support for those policies and proposals among policymakers and other conservation organizations. Bob also works with other Defenders’ staff on a variety of wildlife conservation issues, including strategies for reducing the impacts of global warming on wildlife and managing federal public lands for wildlife viability.

Before joining Defenders in 2007, Bob was Northwest Field Representative for the Wildlife Management Institute. From 1993 to 1996, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks in the Interior Department under Secretary Bruce Babbitt. From 1985 to 1993, Bob was a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), responsible for fish and wildlife issues. During his tenure at Senate EPW, he engineered the last reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act.

Bob earned his B.A. in political science from The Pennsylvania State University, M.S. in wildlife ecology from the University of New Hampshire, and Ph.D. in wildlife science from Utah State University. He currently holds a courtesy appointment as an assistant professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University.

Contact Information
Phone: (541) 745-5521
Email: robert.davison@defenders.org