Proposed 'Critical Habitat' Offers No Protection for Endangered Polar Bears

Earlier this week, it was reported that Shell Oil Company had been granted permission to start drilling exploratory offshore wells in the area of the Beaufort Sea. It was also revealed that renowned marine scientist and conservationist Rick Steiner had been dropped from a federal grant and evicted from his office at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks for being critical of what he considered to be irresponsible oil company proposals, projects and activities in Alaska.

Now, in an unexpected and somewhat contradictory move by the Interior Department, the US government has proposed the designation of "more than 200,000 square miles of land, sea and ice along the northern coast of Alaska as critical habitat for the shrinking polar bear population" (NY Times).

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Despite the fact that the government is now acknowledging that it is important to set aside land for polar bears, the habitat proposal is weak and won't do anything to prevent industrial developers from disturbing the almost 3,500 bears that would live there.

Thomas L. Strickland, assistant interior secretary for fish, wildlife and parks commented that "the bears' habitat was not being set aside as a refuge and that oil and gas exploration and other activities could continue under the terms of the species act and other laws."

This has many wildlife advocates wondering, "What's the point?"

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