Grizzlies Again Protected

Grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are once again under the protection of the Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week returned grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi expressed his disappointment in the decision. He pointed out that biologists agree that the Yellowstone population of grizzly bears has recovered and might have even reached the capacity in many areas of the ecosystem. He blamed a flawed system and a faulty court ruling on the Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision.

Senator John Barrasso pointed out that the Fish and Wildlife Service first moved to delist the bear almost 15 years ago, adding that the last three administrations agreed that the grizzly bear was recovered. He said that protections under the Endangered Species Act are unnecessary and not supported by the facts.

In September 2018, a Montana District Court order overturned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s June 2017 rule to delist grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it is taking this action to reinstate grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to comply with the Montana District Court order.