"Proposing critical habitat for this iconic species is one step in the right direction to help this species stave off extinction," states Tom Strickland, interior assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks. "The greatest threat to the polar bear is the melting of Arctic sea ice caused by climate change."

In a statement from Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club, Pope states "We applaud the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for designating critical habitat for the polar bear. This is an important first step. Now, if we want America's polar bears to survive, we must also address global warming and eliminate the threat of offshore drilling."

In 2008, the Department of the Interior listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The proposed polar bear habitat, required by the Endangered Species Act, follows an earlier decision by the Minerals Management Service to approve offshore oil drilling in key polar bear habitat in Alaska's Beaufort Sea. The proposed area currently includes land where oil and gas exploration is occurring.