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Stop the Polar Bear Whitewash!

On May 15th -- after months of delays -- the Bush/Cheney Administration finally listed the polar bear as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). But at the same time, federal officials issued a new rule that dramatically limits new protections for these struggling bears and the habitat they need to survive.

The Bush/Cheney Administration has made it clear with its new rule that the ESA will not provide any additional protections from activities like oil exploration than those that already exist, and will provide no protection whatsoever against emissions of greenhouse gases that are causing the rise in global temperatures that directly threaten the polar bear.

Take action now -- urge federal officials to provide threatened polar bears with the protections they need to survive. Officials need to hear from you by July 14th!

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Subject: Protect Threatened Polar Bears

As a supporter of Defenders of Wildlife and someone who is concerned about polar bears and other imperiled wildlife, I urge you to protect threatened polar bears as required by the Endangered Species Act to ensure these struggling animals survive.

On May 14th, 2008, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service determined that the polar bear is a "threatened" species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). However, this listing was severely weakened by a new "interim final" rule under ESA's section 4(d).

The 4(d) rule essentially neuters the polar bear's threatened listing by undermining the Endangered Species Act by failing to protections necessary to ensure the recovery of the polar bear.

Listing polar bears as threatened under the ESA should help protect polar bear habitat from threats such as oil and gas development, which the Bush Administration is aggressively pursuing in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska, and has even proposed for the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which provides the primary land denning habitat for the polar bear.

The Administration has made it clear with its 4(d) rule that the ESA will not provide any additional protections from these activities than those that already exist under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and will provide no protection whatsoever against greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change that is destroying polar bear habitat.

In addition, the Fish & Wildlife Service failed to designate critical habitat for the polar bear upon listing it as an endangered species -- a process which is required though the ESA.

According to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, polar bears could disappear from the U.S. entirely by 2050 due to warming temperatures. Urgent action is needed to save these magnificent animals from disappearing -- action that is missing in the May 14th ESA listing.

I urge you to revoke the "interim final" rule and provide all the protections to the polar bear that a "threatened" listing under the ESA should entail.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
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Listing polar bears as threatened under the ESA should help protect polar bear habitat from threats such as oil and gas development, which the Bush Administration is aggressively pursuing in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska, and has even proposed for the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which provides the primary land denning habitat for the polar bear. The Administration has made it clear with its 4(d) rule that the ESA will not provide any additional protections from these activities than those that already exist under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and will provide no protection whatsoever against greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change that is destroying polar bear habitat. In addition, the Fish & Wildlife Service failed to designate critical habitat for the polar bear upon listing it as an endangered species -- a process which is required though the ESA. According to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, polar bears could disappear from the U.S. entirely by 2050 due to warming temperatures. Urgent action is needed to save these magnificent animals from disappearing -- action that is missing in the May 14th ESA listing. I urge you to revoke the "interim final" rule and provide all the protections to the polar bear that a "threatened" listing under the ESA should entail. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Address]

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