Deadlines set for designating polar bear habitat

Oct 6, 2008 5:33 PM (13 mins ago) By DAN JOLING, AP » 13 mins ago: Deadlines set for designating polar bear habitat « This story ranks Not ranked Related Topics: ) - Three conservation groups have reached a partial settlement with the federal government on polar bear habitat that could add restrictions to future petroleum exploration or drilling off Alaska's coast. The agreement filed Monday sets deadlines for the Interior Department secretary to designate "critical habitat" for polar bears. Such a designation prohibits federal agencies from taking actions that may "adversely modify" critical habitat that could interfere with polar bear recovery. Those actions might include offshore petroleum exploration or drilling, said Kassie Siegel, an attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. This story continues below... [read full story]