By Rhishja Larson •
October 23, 2009
Now that the polar bear is about to receive over 128 million acres of critical habitat designation, the state of Alaska is taking legal action to challenge the decision.
Following the announcement that threatened polar bears are set to receive over 128 million acres of critical habitat designation, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell and Attorney General Dan Sullivan responded by taking legal action against federal protection of polar bears.
By Rhishja Larson •
October 19, 2009
The spotted seal, a sea ice-dependent Arctic species, has been denied Endangered Species Act protection by the Obama Administration.
Disappointment: The Center for Biological Diversity has announced that the Obama administration denied Endangered Species Act protection for the spotted seal, a species whose habitat is rapidly melting away due to global warming.
A class of young school children from Alaska found a dead beluga whale on the beach during a weekly field trip. The Winterberry Elementary School second graders came across the whale along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. According to their teacher, Meg Eggleston, the children saw the whale moving its tail and were convinced the whale will be fine. But the whale, dead for hours, had already begun to decompose.
By Rhishja Larson •
September 17, 2009
Up to 200 walrus carcasses - mostly calves - have been spotted on the shore of Chukchi Sea on Alaska’s northwest coast.
While on their way to a walrus tagging project, federal wildlife researchers discovered nearly 200 dead walruses about 140 miles southwest of Barrow, on Icy Cape.
Although the age and cause of death is not officially known, the walruses appear to be mainly new calves or yearlings, according to early reports.
By Rhishja Larson •
August 28, 2009
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that they will consider listing the Sonoran desert tortoise as a distinct population.
A 90-day finding on a petition to list the Sonoran desert tortoise (Gopherus agasizzii) as a distinct population (DPS) under the Endangered Species Act has been announced by the USFWS. This announcement has come after the review of filed petitions showed substantial evidence that the Sonoran desert tortoise may meet the criteria of “discreteness and significance” required for distinct population segments.
In southeast Utah rests a peaceful town located on the banks of a peaceful river. Here the Green River flows between two canyons, Gray and Labyrinth, allowing for farming and ranching in an arid desert. Driving through Green River, Utah doesn’t take but a few moments, including a stop to purchase some mouth-watering melons, for which Green River is famous. But Green River now has a new claim to fame.
Transition Power Development LLC (TPD) has proposed construction of a 2 unit nuclear power plant known as the Blue Castle Project situated just outside of the peaceful town. In order to maintain the 2 unit nuclear power plant, massive amounts of water would be required. The Kane County Water Conservancy District (KCWCD) has filed a water-rights application in order to facilitate the project. The application requests 29,600 acre-feet of water, which would be diverted from the Green River, a part of the Colorado River drainage.
A gray wolf was captured alive, fitted with a radio collar and ear tags, and then released in May in Baker County (Eastern Oregon).
By Jake Richardson •
March 6, 2009
The gray wolf population in Idaho, Montana, Washington, Utah, Oregon, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan has recovered enough since being listed as endangered in 1974 to be removed from the list of species that are threatened and endangered.
Secrectary of the Interior Ken Salazaar concurred with the January decison of the US Fish and Wildlife Service to delist the animal.
By Tom Schueneman •
March 3, 2009
Obama reverses Bush administration ruling to weaken the Endangered Species Act.
By Jake Richardson •
February 25, 2009
The size of critical lynx habitat will increase from 1,841 square miles across three states to 39,000 square miles in six.
The expansion is due to a policy reconsideration because of allegations that Deputy Assistant Interior Secretary Julie McDonald used her position to interfere with the way scientific findings were presented to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She resigned in 2007.
