US Fish and Wildlife Service has designated more than 187,000 square miles in the Arctic as critical habitat for polar bears under the Endangered Species Act.
On Nov 4 a US District Court judge ruled that the decision to list polar bears as "Threatened" and not "Endangered" in May 2008 must be reconsidered or defended.
May 28 the Government of Nunavut stated that they think polar bears are thriving, and thus they oppose the proposed uplisting of polar bears as a species of Special Concern under the Canadian Species at Risk Act.
The status table and reviews discussed and decided upon in Copenhagen in 2009 are finally available on the website.
Approximately half the members of the PBSG met in Oslo February 8-10, 2010, to meet the request from the Parties to the 1973 Agreement for input to national action plans.
The PBSG guidelines have been reviewed and all members except one have been appointed. The new guidelines and list of members have been published on the website.