Judge Upholds 'Threatened' Listing for Polar Bear

A federal judge today upheld the George W. Bush administration's decision to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The ruling is a blow to environmental groups that wanted the bear listed as endangered, thereby giving it more protections, and industry groups and others that don't want it listed at all. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan of the District of Columbia issued a 116-page opinion (pdf) explaining why he granted the federal government's motion for summary judgment. The designation of the polar bear has been a contentious issue since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service first listed the bear as threatened in 2008. Hanging over the matter is the issue of global warming and its potential effect on the polar bear's habitat...more