http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=132141.0
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22,
2009
Contact: Kristina Johnson
(415)
977-5619
Protections Restored for Yellowstone
Grizzlies
Global Warming Threatens Bears' Key Food Source
Bozeman, MT--A federal
district court today ordered Endangered Species Act
protections reinstated
for grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone
ecosystem. The decision was
based in part on the fact that one of the
bear's primary food sources, the
whitebark pine, is disappearing as a
result of global warming.
After
the Fish and Wildlife Service decided to remove grizzlies from the
Endangered
Species list in 2007, more than 40 percent of bear range in the
greater
Yellowstone ecosystem received no habitat protection. Nearly 2
million
acres of high-quality habitat were opened to increased motorized
access, more
than 630,000 acres were opened for logging, and more than
850,000 acres were
opened to oil and gas development. With today’s court
ruling, these
lands will once again be managed for protection of bears as
"threatened"
under the Endangered Species Act.
Statement of
Sierra Club Deputy Executive Director Bruce Hamilton
Today's decision
restores important protections for one of America's most
impressive animals,
the grizzly bear. Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states
have already declined
to just one percent of their historic range as a
result of human
encroachment. Now global warming threatens to push them to
the
brink.
Grizzly bears depend on high-fat whitebark pine seeds in order to
prepare
for hibernation each year. As a result of warmer temperatures,
mountain
pine beetles have begun to wipe out the bear's key food source.
Without
their traditional high-altitude food source, grizzlies are less
likely to
bear healthy cubs. They are forced to seek food at lower
elevations, where
they're more likely to encounter humans and other
threats.
With federal protections in place, the Fish and Wildlife Service
can now
develop a new bear recovery plan that addresses the impacts of
global
warming. The grizzly bear is one of the lasting icons of America's
wild
legacy. Today's decision will help ensure that future generations have
the
chance to experience the awe of this magnificent wild
creature.
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