Polar Bear’s Listing as Threatened Species Upheld by Judge

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to list polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act was reasonable, a federal judge ruled, rejecting challenges that it limits resource development in Alaska.

The agency’s decision “represents a reasoned exercise” of its discretion based on the facts and the available science in 2008 when it made the determination, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in Washington wrote today in a 116-page ruling granting the government’s request to uphold the designation.