This petition acts as a show of support for the maximum sentence allowed under law in the case of US v. Gordon. The sentencing hearing regarding this case will be held on February 28, 2020.

Last year (2019) in Kaktovik, an Arctic village in Alaska, a whaling captain and Alaskan Native named Christopher L. Gordon shot and killed a polar bear that had wandered into his front yard to eat a butchered whale carcass he had left outside. In Alaska, killing a polar bear is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, unless for reasons of self-defense or subsistence purposes (applies to Alaskan Natives only).

In the case of Christopher L. Gordon, he shot and killed a polar bear leaving the body of one of Alaska's most iconic, threatened species to rot. The polar bear's body was covered with snow, causing a snow removal vehicle to move the body and rip off one of its legs. The polar bear's remains were later taken to the dump and set on fire. Since Christopher did not use any part of the polar bear, the killing is not considered subsistence hunting, and, therefore, he violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

If convicted, Gordon faces up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Polar bears are classified as marine mammals because they spend most of their lives on sea ice. As global warming takes effect, less sea ice remains, making it difficult, if not impossible, for polar bears to hunt for food. Kaktovik is located on the north shore of Barter Island on the Beaufort Sea coast, an area affected by rapid global warming which speeds up the movement of sea ice, the primary habitat of polar bears. Because of this, polar bears are often desperate for food and will scavenge, leading to bear-human conflicts. The tourism in Kaktovik is booming because tourists want a chance to see polar bears before they go EXTINCT. The threats polar bears face are imminent. The last thing they need is to be killed for merely trying to survive.

We the undersigned support the maximum sentence allowed under law in the case of US v. Gordon.

Please also sign our IMPACT STATEMENT: https://www.oneprotest.org/polar-bear