More polar bear news than you can shake a rapidly melting icicle at

photo                  By John Platt  "Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) got a long-awaited boost on November 23 when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) finally designated more than 485,000 square kilometers of "critical habitat" for the species, which is listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The critical habitat was first proposed in October 2009, and a ruling was due this past June 30, but the FWS obviously did not make that date. The habitat was also reduced by about 33,500 square kilometers from what was originally planned (pdf) to "accurately reflect the U.S. boundary" as well as exempt five U.S. Air Force bases and several native communities..." read here