Secretary Kempthorne announced today that the polar bear will be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a threatened species due to the threat of decreasing sea ice habitat caused by climate change. Born Free USA united with API welcomes this necessary step to protecting polar bears, but has reservations that an interpretation of the ESA will, as Secretary Kempthorne says, “ensure the protection of the bear while allowing us to continue to develop our natural resources in the arctic region in an environmentally sound way.”
Secretary Kempthorne Announces Endangered Species Act Protection for Polar Bear
Press Release
U.S. Department of the Interior