The Northern Rockies—Grizzly Bears and a Farewell

At the time of this writing, fall is (finally) settling in here in western Montana. Following an unusual extended dry summer, it has begun to snow in the high country. No doubt, grizzly bears are deep in hyperphagia—the annual biological cycle where bears seek to consume as many calories as possible to prepare their bodies for a long winter of hibernation.

The Endangered Species Coalition is also preparing. We anticipate an announcement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the next few months that could change the trajectory of grizzly bear recovery in the western U.S., and we are raising the alarm. By a court-approved deadline of January 31, 2025, the USFWS will be issuing its final status review of grizzly bear protections in the Yellowstone (GYE) and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems (NCDE). At the same time, we expect that USFWS will also announce a revision to the way grizzly bears are currently protected under the Endangered Species Act, possibly proposing to remove federal protections for one or both of those populations of bears.

No doubt, grizzly bear populations in both recovery zones have rebounded tremendously since the grizzly was listed in 1975, and indeed, grizzly are showing up in historic habitat where they have not been seen in a century. (The GYE and NCDE are each about 1,000 bears currently.) Thanks to decades of dedicated conservation efforts by federal, state and tribal wildlife managers, wildlife conservation groups, sportsmen and landowners, the Yellowstone and NCDE population of grizzly bears has met and exceeded the population and distribution criteria in the Recovery Plan.

But it’s too soon to declare victory. Grizzly bear populations remain disconnected from each other, even as biologists say that natural connectivity is critical to recovery. The Montana legislature has recently passed laws expanding wolf trapping in grizzly bear habitat, granting permits to livestock producers to kill grizzly bears that they deem a “threat” to livestock—even on public land. And we know that outfitters are chomping at the bit to sell grizzly bear trophy hunts. In short, based on how hostile state governments in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho have become towards grizzlies, wolves and other native carnivores, we think a delisting at this time could halt grizzly bear recovery in its tracks, and even reverse a lot of the progress we’ve made to date.  

So, ESC will continue to fight for stronger, not weaker, protections for grizzly bears. We would appreciate your voice at this critical time—please write a letter to the editor of your favorite news outlet urging the USFWS to keep grizzly bears protected in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. We’ve put together a simple toolkit, complete with some suggested talking points, to make it easy for you to write and submit a letter. Your voice is appreciated!

Meanwhile, it’s time for me to say a heartfelt goodbye to the Coalition. After nearly two decades working with ESC in varying capacities, I will be moving on to work in the decarbonization space—working with another nonprofit organization to develop and advance clean, equitable, and affordable energy policies in Montana and Idaho. I am grateful for the opportunity to fight for wildlife with the Coalition all these years, as well as for all the support from our members, donors and activists. I know you all will carry on the fight. All the best.

Derek Goldman, Northern Rockies Representative and Field Director