The Arctic is ground zero for the impacts of climate change . Defenders of Wildlife is actively involved in a number of policy initiatives that will help species like polar bears , wolverines  and walruses  adapt to the realities of a warming planet.
How We’re Helping
Defenders participates in regular planning workshops and provide input to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s draft Polar Bear Conservation/Recovery Plan. As the “poster child” of climate change in the U.S., polar bears and their habitat have become a natural focus as we work to help the many species affected by climate change.
We also provide technical assistance and policy guidance to a number of state and national agencies to ensure wildlife and habitat considerations are deliberately and appropriately factored into land management and planning decisions in Alaska, particularly in such sensitive areas as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge , the Chugach National Forest  and the Kenai Peninsula .