Alaska fights to reverse polar bear listing

[Javaman]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- 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 for bears get in the way of the state's continued prosperity.

Like his predecessor, Sarah Palin, the governor is suing the federal government to overturn the listing of the iconic symbol of the Arctic as a threatened species, a move made last year that he believes could threaten Alaska's lifeblood: petroleum development.

"Currently some are attempting to improperly use the Endangered Species Act to shut down resource development," Parnell says. "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 long-term prospects of a $26 billion proposed natural gas pipeline. Protections for polar bears under the Endangered Species Act could thwart that, Parnell says, adding that they're not needed.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_POLAR_BEAR_POLITICS?SITE=WDUN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

>good thing failin quitter is no longer governor, right :banghead: <

[Craftsman]

1. Polar bear, the other red meat

[Altoid_Cyclist]

2. Is it mandatory for any Governor of Alaska to act simply as a spokesperson for API?

I say that we turn Failin and Parnell loose in the wilds and use aircraft to run them until they drop.

Hopefully they'll run out of energy in the vicinity of a wolf pack or a hungry Polar Bear or two.