HELENA — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has denied Montana and Wyoming’s petition to delist grizzly bears in the Greater Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems. The agency also announced a new long-term approach for grizzly recovery.
The service is proposing a new rule clarifying the geographic area where grizzly bears in the lower 48 are subject to protection under the Endangered Species Act. Instead of managing the animals under individual populations such as the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems, all grizzlies south of Canada would be managed as a collective.
Current management practice calls for managing bears as six distinct populations based on geographic areas. The new proposed rule would keep the bear population in Montana protected under the Endangered Species Act until the entire population in the northwest United States is considered recovered. It would also likely delay when Montana could manage the animals at a state level.
“This reclassification will facilitate recovery of grizzly bears and provide a stronger foundation for eventual delisting,” said Martha Williams, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director. “And the proposed changes to our 4(d) rule will provide management agencies and landowners more tools and flexibility to deal with human/bear conflicts, an essential part of grizzly bear recovery.”
In December 2021, the Gianforte administration petitioned the federal government to delist grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. Wyoming submitted its petition in January 2022 to see the Greater Yellowstone population delisted.
Because of the new proposed rule, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the Montana and Wyoming petitions were “not warranted.”
“After a thorough review of the best scientific and commercial data available, the Service found grizzly bear populations in those two ecosystems do not, on their own, represent valid distinct population segments,” said the press release from U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
Wednesday’s announcement from U.S. Fish and Wild drew contempt from Montana elected leaders.
“The full recovery of the grizzly bear across the Rocky Mountain region should be acknowledged and celebrated – period. It’s time for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to catch up with the science, follow the law, and return the management of grizzlies to the states, where it belongs. We look forward to working with the incoming Trump administration to explore a new path forward,” said Governor Greg Gianforte, R-Montana.
U.S. Senator Steve Daines, R-Montana, said, “Today’s announcement is incredibly frustrating for Montana. For decades, Montana has followed the science and as a result, the bear has more than recovered in the Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems. Continuing to move the goalposts on recovery is only harming the bear and putting our Montanan communities at risk. This is a shameful partisan play, and I’ll be pushing back every step of the way.”
“I was very disappointed in today's proposed rule from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service revising the Endangered Species Act listing for grizzly bears,” said U.S. Rep. Troy Downing, R-Montana. “I urge the incoming Trump Administration to trust the science and rescind this proposal before it is finalized. Montanans, especially our farmers and ranchers, are acutely aware of the harm that grizzly bears pose to communities around the state.”
Grizzly bears have historically inhabited much of the western United States. Prior to 1800, and estimated 50,00 grizzly bears lived in North America. At their peak, the species stretched from the West Coast to the Great Plains, from northern Alaska and Canada to even as far south as central Mexico.
The expansion of European settlers in the 1800s saw conflicts with the powerful animals. Grizzlies were seen as a threat to livestock and human safety. In response, government-funded bounty programs were instituted to eradicate the species. By the 1930s, grizzlies were reduced to 2% of their former range in the continuous 48 states and saw their population reduced to the hundreds.
In 1975 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed grizzlies in the Lower 48 as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. That protection made it unlawful to kill, capture, or harm grizzly bears. One exception was made for sport hunting in Northwest Montana, allowing for up to 25 grizzly bears to be killed annually through management and hunting. In 1991, a lawsuit ended all grizzly bear hunting in Montana while the bear had protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Through decades of recovery efforts, grizzlies have seen significant growth in their populations in Montana. According to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, more than 2,100 grizzly bears live in the Treasure State.
“For more than 50 years, ag producers and livestock users have been committed to the delisting of the grizzly bear,” FWP Director Christy Clark said. “I thank them for the efforts. FWP will remain diligent in the continued recovery of the species to ensure the future viability of grizzlies in Montana. It’s beyond time for the federal government to recognize the science and follow the law. FWP and our partners have proven we are ready to manage this species at a state level. We will be exploring all our options to move forward.”
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional information about grizzly populations in Montana.
