The Idaho Statesman has made a good compilation of recent newspaper editorials about the listing of the polar bear — the addition of the polar bear to the endangered species list.
Story: Other Views: Polar bears and global warming. Idaho Statesman.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project and the creator of The Wildlife News.
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I suspect that Kemphorne’s floating pursuing polar bear ESA listing is shrewd “cover” thought up by his Bush Administration handlers – to try to get some kind of environmentally positive Bushco image in the public’s mind. Meanwhile, they will continue to kill every other listing already in the pipeline for petitoned species.Like sage grouse. Just a week or so before the polar bear epiphany, FWS killed listing for the genetically distinct Mono Lake sage grouse. Like pygmy rabbit.
And like slickspot peppergrass where FWS has a court-ordered deadline in just a couple of days to make a Listing Decision. This is a species Kempthorne is VERY familiar with, and in Idaho his “Office of Species Conservation/Extinction” had and has done all it can to kill listing because the public lands cattle industry wants to continue unfettered trampling and weed spreading of its habitat.
Slickspot peppergrass represents the loss of sagebrush habitats in Idaho through grazing-caused cheatgrass and other weeds, and linked fire, and Kempthorne while Gov.in Idaho has overseen its continued decline.
Polar bears are a smokescreen for stymying all other listings.
Either that, or Dick Cheney is afraid the bears will go extinct before he and his hunting buddies get to blast some more for bearskin rugs for the mansion … or before Mary’s baby gets big enough to bag one onits very own …