Follow up to previous posting on listing the polar bear as a threatened species, this January 18, 2008 press release: “Select Committee Chairman Rep. Edward Markey…sent a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne reinforcing the message that the Secretary should postpone the pending oil lease sale on the critical habitat of the polar bear while he is still considering the status of the bear under the Endangered Species Act. In addition to today’s letter, Chairman Markey held a committee hearing yesterday questioning the wisdom of putting oil extraction ahead of species extinction, introduced legislation requiring that the decisions be made in the proper order, and sent a letter directing numerous questions to the Interior Department concerning how these decisions are being made.”