Wednesday, December 01, 2010
(photo: Steven Amstrup, USGS)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has downsized the amount of Alaska wilderness that should be considered critical habitat for polar bears, after complaints were raised by the oil industry over the agency’s original proposal.
In October 2009, FWS officials proposed designating about 200,541 square miles of land for the bears, which are an endangered species. Now, the agency says 187,157 square miles of Alaskan territory, mostly sea ice, should be protected for the animals.
Federal officials insist the reduction in critical habitat was the result of “more accurate measurements of international borders across sea areas,” writes Courthouse News Service, and had nothing to do with criticism from industry.
The new habitat boundaries include some oil and gas exploration sites. Companies will not be able to conduct drilling within the designated area without gaining approval from all federal agencies that have jurisdiction over actions that could impact the bears’ survival.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Polar Bear Critical Sea-Ice Includes Oil Drilling Spots (by Travis Sanford, Courthouse News Service)
Polar Bear Critical Habitat: Some Frequently Asked Questions (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) (pdf)
Polar Bear Critical Habitat Rule (Department of the Interior) (pdf)
Good News for Polar Bears…Bad News for Oil Companies (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)
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