a little-known state law seeking to have Cook Inlet beluga whales

Conservation groups filed a request to have the whales listed as a federal

endangered species this spring. The National Marine Fisheries Service

has until next spring to make a decision on that request, but

representatives for the groups said they decided to seek a state

designation under Alaska's Endangered Species law to add another layer

Jack Sterne, an attorney for the environmental law firm Trustees for

Alaska, said state Fish and Game Commissioner Frank Rue will have 30

days to either reject the petition or schedule hearings on the request. The

federal process takes more time and is more cumbersome.

A handful of animals and birds have been designated endangered under

the state statute after making the federal list. Sterne said this may be the

working against the whales, even if they are not a primary cause of their

hamper the whales' ability to recover.

Alaska Wildlife Alliance, the National Audubon Society and the Center

Having the whales designated endangered under the state law would

already been so designated by the federal government.

commercial fishermen for food sources like hooligan and salmon, pollution

Some common words found in the essay are:
Cook Inlet, Marine Conservation, Frank Rue, NMFS Freeman, Balliet Overhunting, Council Alaska, , Fisheries Service, Corps Engineers, Endangered Species, cook inlet, endangered species, native hunters, cook inlet belugas, federal endangered, inlet whales, co-management agreement, request federal, sterne balliet, oil gas, designated endangered, federal endangered species,
Approximate Word count = 682
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)