May 15, 2008
Related ArticlesPolar Bears Listed as "Threatened" Under the Endangered Species Act
Following the recommendation of Dale Hall, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Secretary of the Interior has opted to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The FWS initially proposed to add the polar bear as a threatened species in January 2007. This occurred after environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity and the Natural Resources Defense Council, sued the FWS in 2005 to force the listing of polar bears. Typically, a decision is made within a year after an official proposal is made to add a species to the endangered species list. However, when January 2008 arrived, the FWS was not ready to make a decision and asked for more time. On April 28, a U.S. District Court judge gave the FWS until May 15 to reach a conclusion.
The decision to list the polar bear was based on the best available science, including 10 peer-reviewed climate models that all projected a decline in arctic sea ice in the future. Sea ice is a key part of a polar bear's habitat—the frozen ice is where most of a polar bear's hunting occurs. While polar bear populations have increased from a population of about 12,000 in the late 1960s to over 25,000 today, the prospect of less sea ice will undoubtedly affect polar bear populations in the future.
Environmentalists are thrilled that polar bear populations will now be under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. However, their hopes of linking the protection of polar bears to the prevention of activities related to global warming seem highly unlikely.
According to Dirk Kempthorne, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, "While the legal standards under the ESA compel me to list the polar bear as threatened, I want to make clear that this listing will not stop global climate change or prevent any sea ice from melting. Any real solution requires action by all major economies for it to be effective. That is why I am taking administrative and regulatory action to make certain the ESA isn't abused to make global warming policies."