The Center for Biological Diversity formally notified Secretary Ken Salazar on 13 January that it intends to sue the Department of Interior (DOI) for violating a final ruling designating 187,157 square miles of critical polar bear habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Although the rule became effective on January 6, the plaintiffs assert that DOI continues to authorize offshore oil and gas leasing, exploration and development activities in and near the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in violation of the designation. Full text of the notice: http://thehill.com/images/stories/blogs/energy/polarlawsuit.pdf.
An additional formal notification has been sent to Secretary Salazar from a coalition of Alaska native groups lead by the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) and the North Slope Borough contending that DOI’s final ruling ignored their concerns when it designated the coastal areas of the North Slope as critical habitat for polar bears. The letter states inter alia that such a designation will impair Alaska Natives' ability to benefit from their own resources and potentially cost the state of Alaska billions of dollars from delayed offshore drilling projects, while not mitigating the threat of climate change, which is the primary threat to polar bears.
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