JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is hailing the Interior secretary’s decision to leave in place a regulation from the Bush administration that limits protection of the polar bear from global warming.
Officials say protecting endangered species is not the way to deal with climate change.
Palin says the decision will provide for continued monitoring and protections for polar bears under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and international treaties.
And, she says, subsistence activities and oil and gas development on Alaska’s North Slope won’t be subjected to certain requirements under the Endangered Species Act.
Palin calls Secretary Ken Salazar’s decision on Friday “a clear victory for Alaska.”