Grizzly Bear Delisting Bill Clears House Natural Resource Committee

In a vote that could very well turn historic, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee cleared a bill that could see grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem removed from the Endangered Species List. In a move that has been in the works for decades now, the Natural Resource Committee voted 20-19, along party lines, to advance H.R. 281, known as the Grizzly Bear State Management Act, sponsored by Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming).

With robust populations in the Yellowstone area, many including this author, believe it’s time to hand management back over to the states. The bill seeks to remove grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) from the Endangered Species Act’s (ESA) "threatened" list, reinstating a 2017 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) rule that was overturned by a federal court the following year. 

Proponents of the bill, led by Sen. Hageman, argue that the GYE grizzly population - estimated at over 1,100 bears - has far surpassed the USFWS recovery goal of 500.  Boldly crediting the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s management, and not the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for the bear’s recovery, Hageman doubled down on her belief that states are better equipped than the federal government to manage the population. 

The Endangered Species Act has been abused by “radical environmental organizations and activist judges,” Hageman said at Tuesday’s session. “The grizzly is in fact the poster child for how the ESA has failed.” 

Wyoming Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso, along with Montana’s Steve Daines and Ryan Zinke, support the bill, further emphasizing the need for state-managed solutions like regulated hunting to address growing human-bear conflicts and livestock losses. 

“With the grizzly population exploding, we’ve seen a troubling uptick in attacks on people, livestock, and property,” Hageman said. “Families shouldn’t have to live in fear of grizzly bears rummaging through their trash or endangering their children.”

In an effort to cut down on any future monkey business regarding delisting, a key provision of the bill prohibits judicial review of the delisting decision. The provision, which is aimed at shielding it from legal challenges by environmental groups, was (naturally) heavily opposed by Democrats who offered three amendments to the bill. Those proposed amendments, which included one to axe the ban on judicial review, were all but obliterated during the voting process.

The debate over delisting GYE grizzly bears dates back decades, and is rooted in the species’ remarkable recovery under ESA protections. In 1975, when grizzlies were listed as "threatened," only 136 bears remained in the GYE due to habitat loss and human conflicts. Fast forward to present day 2025, and the population has blossomed to over 1,000 bears, a testament to conservation efforts.

In what is supposed to be a win, or if nothing else, a nod to the intended use of the Endangered Species Act, delisting attempts have instead been marred with opposition and lengthy legal battles since the USFWS first attempted delisting back in 2007.

As the bill makes its way through the approval process amidst a shifting political landscape, the Trump administration, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, are believed to be supportive of delisting.

The stress test legitimizing those beliefs will soon be on full display as the legislation heads to the House floor, where it still requires approval from the full House, Senate, and finally the President to become law.