Alaska to fight polar bear law

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell says he has the best interest of polar bears at heart, but he doesn’t intend to let the federal government’s expanded protection get in the way of the state’s continued prosperity.

A collared polar bear walks with her cub on the ice in Alaska in this photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey. AP PHOTO

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The governor is suing the federal government to overturn the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species.

"Currently some are attempting to improperly use the Endangered Species Act to shut down resource development,” he said. "I’m not going to let this happen on my watch.”

As Alaska North Slope wells dry up, the state is turning to potential offshore discoveries to refill the trans-Alaska pipeline and ensure the prospects of a $26 billion proposed natural gas pipeline.

George W. Bush’s Interior secretary, Dirk Kempthorne, listed polar bears as threatened in May 2008, eight months after summer sea ice levels melted to their lowest recorded level.

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