"Judge Asks Federal Government To Explain Polar Bear Listing"

"WASHINGTON -- Lawyers for the federal government, the state of Alaska, and oil and gas interests were in court Wednesday to fight efforts by a coalition of environmental groups trying to force the Obama administration to put polar bears on the endangered species list, not just list them as threatened.

A U.S. district judge held off on a full hearing, saying he'd instead like the federal government to further explain what exactly the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service used in the Endangered Species Act to make its determination that polar bears are merely threatened, not endangered.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said he'd issue a written order shortly, but he said that the government is likely to have about 30 days to explain how it arrived at its decision.

Erika Bolstad reports for McClatchy Newspapers October 20, 2010.