United States Fish and Wildlife Service Clarifies Basis for Listing Polar Bear as “Threatened” Under the Endangered Species Act

On 22 December, 2010, the US Fish and Wildlife Service clarified for the U.S. District Court in Washington, DC the legal basis for its 2008 decision to protect the polar bear as a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and confirmed for the Court that the designation was consistent with the Service’s longstanding science-based practices in determining the appropriate listing status for a given species. The “threatened” designation of the polar bear under the ESA does not change as a result of the Court filing.

Read the full news release at: http://us.vocuspr.com/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=fws&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ=112606&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=True

Extensive background on the listing is accesible online at: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/polarbear/esa.htm