The Politics of Species Protection in Alaska

The State of Alaska is stepping up efforts to fight a pair of recent listings under the Endangered Species Act — and proceeding cautiously with the reintroduction of a third species to the state — arguing that federal protections are unwarranted and likely to hurt the local economy. The state filed suit last August against the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species, and in January it filed notice of intent to sue over the listing of the Cook Inlet beluga whale as endangered. Earlier this month, state lawmakers agreed to spend $1.25 million on litigation over the two listings. “We’re taking aim at actions that threaten to impede responsible development,” Gov. Sarah Palin told reporters, who added that her administration believes “that we can benefit from safe development while protecting our wildlife species.” A planned reintroduction of the rare wood bison (a small number have protected status in Canada but the animal had virtually disappeared from Alaska by the early 1900s), has also raised concerns over the federal law. Several dozen bison are already in quarantine in Alaska, but state wildlife managers say they won’t release the bison into the wild until the animals are designated a “nonessential experimental” population. That classification would, according to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, allow them to be treated as “threatened” rather than “endangered,” thereby easing most of the land development restrictions that would attend animals protected under the Endangered Species Act...NYTimes