Grizzly Bears Set to Remain on Endangered Species List in Politically Motivated Move by Feds

In a move believed to be that is politically motivated, the federal government has denied the request from multiple states to delist grizzly bears.

Clutching to their cards as tightly as they can in an effort to appease the powerful anti-hunting lobby, the feds ruled on Wednesday that grizzly bears remain threatened in the Lower 48 and as such, shall remain under federal protection and control.

The decision comes about a month after a Wyoming judge called on federal wildlife officials to finally make a decision on delisting Yellowstone grizzly bears. The decision, ordered by the U.S. District Court of Wyoming Judge, was vehemently supported by Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon who had previously accused officials of ‘hibernating’ on the issue.

Calling on the feds to “sh*t or get off the pot’, it seems as though, as noisy as Gordon’s request were, they were unable to contend with those who oppose state management of grizzlies. 

Echoing the sentiment of Gordon’s efforts over the past few months, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte was quick to clap back on the announcement. He referred to the decision as a last-minute political chess move by the outgoing administration.

“The full recovery of the grizzly bear across the Rocky Mountain region should be acknowledged and celebrated — period,” Gianforte said in an official statement. “It’s time for [the] U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to catch up with the science, follow the law, and return management of grizzlies to the states, where it belongs.”

With recovery goals long-since met and bear numbers tripling in size over the past 40 years, the recovery of the grizzly bear in the Lower 48 is a conservation success story. But without federal protections in place, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming would be in control of these bears, which, according to the anti-hunting aficionados, is something these states simply cannot handle on their own. Or at least not in a responsible manner.

As part of the announcement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that they will be taking a new approach to managing the large bruins. By reclassifying grizzlies in the western US as a single distinct population, they stated that they remain hopeful that it will serve to help with delisting the bears in the future.

“This reclassification will facilitate recovery of grizzly bears and provide a stronger foundation for eventual delisting,” outgoing USFWS Director Martha Williams said in a press release.

As to whether or not you believe the rhetoric or simply view this as political theatre, the USFW’s decision remains open for public comment for the next 60-or-so days. In addition to very likely getting an earful from western hunters and common sense residents, I believe we can all expect this decision to also be challenged in the courts.