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2) U.S. maps protected Alaska habitat for polar bear

3) Source: Reuters; October 22, 2009

5) Miller Chapters 8, 11, 20

6) Local- Anchorage, Alaska

7) The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that 200,000 square miles of coastline and Arctic Ocean waters will be designated a critical habitat and be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The species that is endangered in this situation is the polar bear. This action to help these polar bears would be the largest area protected under the Endangered Species Act. One of the reasons why this proposal may prove to be controversial is that the land being protected covers part of the largest oil field that exists in the US. The governor of Alaska has made his opinion public and said that he does not want the Endangered Species Act to hinder resource development. The proposal will go under a 60 day public review before it is final.

8) I think that designating such a large area to polar bears is a great idea and it is well over due. The fact that the species is now being fully protected from the oil mines and things like that is reassuring. As for the governor of Alaska, it seems that he just wants money from producing resources in the state and doesn't really care about the endangerment of the polar bears which is not okay. Hopefully the proposal will be passed and the polar bears will be protected.

9)Endangered Species Act of 1973:was enacted to protect animal and plant species from extinction by preserving the ecosystems in which they survive and by providing programs for their conservation.