Secretary of the Interior Gail Norton
Office of the Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240

RE: List polar bear as threatened species!

Dear Secretary Norton,

I strongly urge you to take immediate action to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

The scientific evidence is now clear and overwhelming that the polar bear is facing likely extinction in the wild by the end of this century as a result of global warming. A September 2005 report revealed that the polar ice cap has shrunk by more than 20 percent since 1979, losing an area the size of Colorado in the preceding year alone.

I am appalled that you have failed to respond, as required by law, to a Petition filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and other organizations requesting that you list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

I fully support NRDC's intention to take legal action to force you and the Fish and Wildlife Service, which is under your jurisdiction, to reckon with the emerging polar bear crisis. And I will do everything in my power to create public pressure on the Interior Department until you stop stalling the broad federal protection that the polar bear so urgently needs. With the bear's future literally melting away, there is absolutely no excuse for further delays.