The U.S. government has proposed listing polar bears as threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act because the animals' sea ice habitat is melting. Learn about polar bears, bookmark photos and videos, share your opinion...
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The U.S. government has proposed listing polar bears as threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act because the animals' sea ice habitat is melting. Learn about polar bears, bookmark photos and videos, share your opinion about the proposal in the blog, or learn about the implications of adding Polar Bears to the list.
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell says he has the best interest of polar bears at heart, but he doesn't intend to let the federal government's expanded protection for bears get in the way of the state's continued prosperity. Like his predecessor, Sarah Palin, the governor is suing the federal government to overturn the listing of the iconic symbol of the Arctic as a threatened species, a move made last year that he believes could threaten Alaska's lifeblood: petroleum development. "Currently some are... Read Full Story
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell says he has the best interest of polar bears at heart, but he doesn't intend to let the federal government's expanded protection for bears get in the way of the state's continued prosperity. Like his predecessor, Sarah Palin, the governor is suing the federal government to overturn the listing of the iconic symbol of the Arctic as a threatened species, a move made last year that he believes could threaten Alaska's lifeblood: petroleum development. "Currently some are... Read Full Story
The brown pelican, pushed to the edge of extinction in the 1970s by pesticide use, habitat loss and hunting, was Wednesday taken off the endangered species list, US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said. "We can celebrate an extraordinary accomplishment: the brown pelican is endangered no more," Salazar said. "It has taken 36 years, the banning of DDT and a lot of work by the US government, the states, conservation organizations, dedicated citizens and partners, but today we can say... Read Full Story
The Obama administration said Thursday it is designating more than 200,000 square miles in Alaska and off its coast as "critical habitat" for polar bears, an action that could add restrictions to future offshore drilling for oil and gas. Federal law prohibits agencies from taking actions that may adversely affect critical habitat and interfere with polar bear recovery. Assistant Interior Secretary Tom Strickland called the habitat designation a step in the right direction to help polar bears... Read Full Story
Canada and Greenland agreed on a series of measures aimed at protecting shared populations of polar bears which roam between the Nunavut territory and the huge arctic island, officials said. Canada's Environment Minister Jim Prentice made the announcement during a conference call from Kangerluusuaq, Greenland, where he signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Friday with Greenland's Minister of Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture, Ane Hansen and Prentice's Nunavut territory counterpart... Read Full Story
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - A vast swath of icy sea, barrier islands and coastal land on Alaska's oil-rich North Slope will be granted special protection because of its importance to the threatened polar bear, under a proposal released Thursday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The agency proposes that 200,000 square miles (518,000 sq km) of coastline and shallow Arctic Ocean waters be designated as critical habitat, a status of heightened protection afforded under the Endangered... Read Full Story
By Steve Toub As part of our continuing series examining the impacts of climate change on endangered species, we’ll now address how the rapid, disruptive climate change impacts the Edith’s checkerspot butterfly. The butterfly is so sensitive to climate that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study on the Ecological Impacts of Climate Change says it acts as an “early warning indicator of climate change in North America.” Bay checkerspot butterfly – T.W.Davies (c) California Academy of... Read Full Story
The United States on Thursday announced plans to designate more than 200,000 square miles in Alaska as critical habitat for polar bears, a key step towards increasing protection for the threatened species. "Proposing critical habitat for this iconic species is one step in the right direction to help this species stave off extinction, recognizing that the greatest threat to the polar bear is the melting of Arctic sea ice caused by climate change," Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish... Read Full Story
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Protection for polar bears' shrinking icy habitat is the subject of a proposed rule sent to the White House by the Interior Department. The proposed rule, "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Critical Habitat Designation for the Polar Bear" is the latest step in a long process aimed at shielding the big white bears from the effects of climate change. Details of the proposed rule were not immediately made public, but it was filed on Monday with the White... Read Full Story
With global warming shrinking Arctic sea ice that polar bears depend upon for survival, the United States is seeking to remove another major threat: international trade in the bears' fur and other parts. In a proposal filed this week, the Interior Department asked other countries to support a ban on the commercial trade of polar bears and to strictly regulate trophy hunting. The request, if approved, would give the bear the most stringent protection afforded under an international convention... Read Full Story
