Enrolled HR 6: Encouraging all states to oppose the decision of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to list the polar bear as a threatened species.
00Enrolled HR 6 01 Encouraging all states to oppose the decision of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to 02 list the polar bear as a threatened species. 03 _______________ 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: 05 WHEREAS the decision of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to pursue 06 listing of the polar bear as a threatened species is based on studies that are limited in scope, 07 are speculative in nature, disregard the views of numerous other scientific studies, do not 08 recognize the health of current polar bear populations, and, instead, favor worst-case 09 predictions for future populations; and 10 WHEREAS current polar bear populations are two to three times what they were 30 11 years ago and are successfully managed throughout the Arctic in a sustainable manner under 12 international agreements; and 13 WHEREAS listing the polar bear as a threatened species would affect existing 14 international agreements and treaties with Russia, Canada, and other countries; and 15 WHEREAS listing the polar bear as a threatened species would affect access by 16 Alaska Natives to polar bears for traditional uses; and 17 WHEREAS listing the polar bear as a threatened species would prove detrimental to
01 the economy of the state by delaying the development of natural resources essential to the 02 welfare of the state and the nation as a whole; and 03 WHEREAS listing the polar bear as a threatened species would disregard states' 04 rights relative to resource development and thus affect every state in the United States; and 05 WHEREAS listing the polar bear as a threatened species would further affect every 06 state in the United States by requiring that every federal process in the nation that involves 07 emissions or any activity related to a decline in polar bear populations be subject to new 08 reviews by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service or other government agencies; 09 BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives opposes the decision of the 10 United States Fish and Wildlife Service to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the 11 Endangered Species Act of 1973; and be it 12 FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives strongly encourages all 13 other states to oppose the decision of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to list the 14 polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. 15 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George W. Bush, President 16 of the United States; the governors of each of the other 49 states; the presiding officers of the 17 legislatures of each of the other 49 states; the Honorable H. Dale Hall, Director, United States 18 Fish and Wildlife Service; and the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa 19 Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of 20 the Alaska delegation in Congress.