Judge rules on polar bear status

WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- A U.S. federal judge has upheld a decision to list the polar bear as threatened, rather than endangered, under the Endangered Species Act.

The ruling came as a defeat for environmental groups that had wanted the listing upgraded to endangered to give the animals more protection.

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan of the District of Columbia issued a 116-page opinion Thursday granting the federal government's motion for summary judgment, The New York Times reported.

The status of the polar bear has been debated since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service first listed the bear as threatened in 2008.

Environmentalists argue the polar bear should be listed as endangered because of the potential effect of global warming and greenhouse gases on the bear's habitat, and that the Endangered Species Act could be used to help regulate emissions.

The Obama administration has said it opposes such an approach.

A Justice Department spokesman welcomed the ruling, saying officials were "pleased that the court agreed with our argument that the Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act was a reasonable one based on the facts and the science available at the time."