Take Action to Protect Beluga Whale Habitat

Once numbering more than a thousand whales, the Cook Inlet beluga has been reduced to approximately 375 individuals and is now threatened by oil and gas development, pollution, shipping, and other impacts to its habitat in Alaska. In October 2008, federal officials protected the Cook Inlet beluga whale as an endangered species — over the objections of Alaska governor Sarah Palin. This long-overdue action came as a result of a petition and litigation by the Center for Biological Diversity and our allies.

While the Cook Inlet beluga whale is now listed under the Endangered Species Act, its habitat remains federally unprotected, since the federal government has illegally delayed designation of the species’ critical habitat. However, last week the administration finally launched the process of designating critical habitat and is now accepting comments on which areas should be protected for the Cook Inlet beluga whale.

Please let the responsible federal officials know that they have a duty to protect all habitat necessary for the Cook Inlet beluga whale’s recovery, and they must finalize and implement the habitat-protection rule as soon as possible.

Visit http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2167/t/5243/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27101 to take action.