2008-05-13 21:11:59 -
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Trishna Gurung, 202-203-8863 trishna.gurung@wwfus.org World Wildlife Fund (WWF): -0- WHAT: Press Briefing via Conference Call WHEN: 13:30-14:30 EST (17:30-18:30 GMT) Wednesday, May 14, 2008 ACCESS: Dial-in #: 1-877-647-3411 or 1-719-867-0497 Passcode: 231987
WHY: WWF, the global conservation organization with international expertise in polar bear conservation, offers media access to its experts on
the eve of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) deadline to list the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Leading polar bear biologists and conservation scientists will be available to discuss the importance of the ESA listing to the survival of the species.
A U.S. court has given FWS until 2:00 pm on Thursday, May 15 for a final decision. The agency missed another legally required deadline in January, allowing almost 30 million acres of prime polar bear habitat in Alaska's Chukchi Sea to be auctioned for oil and gas exploration. Once a species is listed, FWS is required to designate critical habitat and develop a recovery plan, essentially a guide for management actions with the goal of recovering wildlife populations. Citing loss of polar sea ice due to climate change, FWS proposed listing the species as threatened under the ESA in September 2006. The Administration has since refused to issue a formal decision.
WWF is the only non-governmental organization working in every Arctic country to protect polar bears and their habitat. WWF scientists from the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands are in Washington this week and are also available for interviews.
WWF EXPERTS:
-- GEOFFREY S YORK, Coordinator, Polar Bear Conservation Program, WWF
-- MARGARET WILLIAMS, Managing Director, Kamchatka-Bering Sea Ecoregion, WWF-US
-- DR. PETER EWINS, Director, Species Conservation, WWF-Canada
Moderated by DR. SUE LIEBERMAN, Director of Species, WWF-International
Note to editors:
B-roll and high-resolution images of polar bears are available to accompany press stories based on this briefing and mentioning WWF.
About World Wildlife Fund:
For more than 45 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The largest multinational conservation organization in the world, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level, from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature. Go to worldwildlife.org to learn more.
WWF Experts go on the Record at Press Briefing
