“Heritage Foundation Condemns Bush Administration’s…

Polar Bear Decision” is the title of a Heritage press release highlighting a strongly-worded statement issued by Heritage President Edwin Feulner:

“Today’s decision seems aimed at endangering another endeavor: New oil and natural gas production in Alaska and in its surrounding waters. By placing the polar bear on the endangered species list, the Bush Administration has made it extremely difficult – perhaps impossible – to open up even a small portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), an area estimated to contain 10 billion barrels of oil, no matter what administrative window dressings were put in place. That’s enough to replace what we’ll import from Saudi Arabia over the next 15 years….The listing of the polar bear as threatened is nothing more than a backdoor attempt to limit our country’s energy exploration and use. The Bush Administration should immediately reconsider and overturn today’s decision.”