The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced this week that it was moving forward with work to delist the grizzly bear. According to FWS, we could see the removal of Endangered Species Act protections for the Yellowstone grizzly by the end of the year.
FWS’s next steps are to conduct an analysis of threats to grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region, prior to making any decision to remove important Endangered Species Act protections for the bears.
Chris Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for USFWS said the Service will determine – based upon the threat analysis – whether or not it should draft a proposed rule to “delist” the bears by the end of the year, and would make a final decision following a public comment period as called for by law.
Grizzly bears have by some accounts rebounded successfully in the Yellowstone region, including a record-high 58 females with cubs counted in the Yellowstone ecosystem this year. However, as 
we’ve written before, bears in Yellowstone have yet to connect naturally to other populations of bears in Montana – something that is important for long-term genetic health. Part of FWS plan for recovering bears includes trucking them from region to region in order to ensure genetic diversity, in the event that natural connectivity has not occurred by the year 2020. ESC strongly advocates that bear populations have natural connectivity—that different populations have wildlife corridors enabling them to reach each other. Additionally, independent scientists have not yet had a chance to peer-review much of the data and studies the Service is using to inform their decision.
The rebound in the Yellowstone grizzly bear population from a low of about 150 bears to around 700 today is a huge testament to the success of the Endangered Species Act in protecting and recovering wildlife from the brink of extinction. We want to make sure that FWS is careful to continue this success. We must not slide backwards. We will monitor developments, and assess potential threats to the bears, and we will post more information about the proposal as it becomes available.
24 comments on “USFWS Moving to Delist Grizzlies”
More political BS from the hunting and ranching community who wants to hunt grizzly’s for the purpose of claiming a trophy. This has nothing to do with science justice the delisting of wolves. If fish and wildlife really want to bend over for this small minority of people be prepared to face the biggest backlash you have seen in 30 years. We need to clean house of the entire fish and wildlife service agency. They are nothing more than thugs serving the psychotic hunting community and ranchers who are to lazy to protect there livestock. It’s pathetic!
I could not agree more. We need a clean sweep of the USFWS. They don’t use or believe in scientific studies, they just want to do what the hunters, ranchers and lobbyists. Without any valid (yes I said VALID) scientific facts.
Please continue to protect grizzlies in the Yellowstone area uner the US Fish & Wildlife Service. These magnificent creatures require natural connectivity to keep the gene pool healthy and with enough variety to ensure their healthy survival and continued growth of the amount of grizzlies in the area. I saw blonde mom and cub grizzlies in Alaska (Denali) and I will never forget it. I would love for my children to do so as well; and Yell
Nancy Williams says:
March 28, 2014 at 4:20 pm
Please continue to protect grizzlies in the Yellowstone area uner the US Fish & Wildlife Service. These magnificent creatures require natural connectivity to keep the gene pool healthy and with enough variety to ensure their healthy survival and continued growth of the amount of grizzlies in the area. I saw blonde mom and cub grizzlies in Alaska (Denali) and I will never forget it. I would love for my children to do so as well; and Yellowstone is much closer to PA than Alaska!
Reply
There are petitions to sign
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Yellowstone-Grizzly-Lover-Community-Group/1492828880943792
also call Louisa Willcox, (406) 224-2250 (cell), 406-222-1485
Let your voices be heard
I have had enough. The ranchers have grazed on BLM land for free
They get reimbursed if a wolf kills their cattle.
They are shooting the wolf, slaughtering the Bison, removing the wild horses and sterilizing them, and now this!
I am outraged and plan to be in their faces. My see this old lady chained to a Grizzly soon.
Hey Mary………so agree..signing petition (s)..Grizzliles should never be completely removed!!! IF and I say IF they are no longer “considered” endangered……would a different status be acceptable???? Would VULNERABLE be another choice….??? (I didn’t say “better” 🙂
Betty
Please keep the grizzlies on the endangered species list. They are such beautiful, wonderful animals and deserve to be protected and continue their lives like any other. It is man who has brought them to their endangered state and it is man who must now protect them.
It is quote obvious now that USFWS is “in” with the kill happy whiny cry baby ADA hunters and greedy politicians. The world is watching this group very closely now. The majority of the nation is NOT hunters and want these senseless killings to stop! Start listening to the citizens! Internal investigations need to be put in place as these hunting fools will not stop short at shooting anything as long as their pockets are being lined!
The assault on our wildlife by the USFG has to be stopped!! I agree! Sweep the place clean, and prosecute to the maximum special interest groups who attempt to “bribe” for changes that will enable their psychopathic drive to murder animals for trophies!
There will never be enough grizzly bears on our earth for anyone to need to kill them.
Please protect and preserve them.
They are worth it.
4Wolves4Ever4Wolfwatcher
Please continue t o protect glizzies. Do these folks have any feelings at all cynthia.brown
please continue to protect the glizzies and wildlife. Do these folks have and feelings at all
forthese amimals they were here beforeus. cynthia brown
Is there no place on earth for animals to be safe from trigger happy killers?! Get another hobby!
You can protect an animal that is not listed as an endangered species. The comments are all very compassionate and clearly made by those who have no experience in wildlife management. Assuming hunters will wipe out a managed species, please explain why we still have fish, deer, and elk. It is truly wonderful to see so much support toward protecting these magnificent animals. But let us rely on experts, not amatures.
Let’s change the name of this killing federal agency to,
The Dead Fish and Dead Wildlife Service.
Let’s see wild horses, wolves, bison, now it is the grizzly bear supposedly overpopulating so that it must be “culled” by “altruistic” hunters looking to put a trophy head on their walls no doubt ! BS ! The only safety for the grizzly bear is in remaining on the endangering list. I have an idea about what should be “culled”- the people who think wildlife need to be “managed” by human beings !
Where is the proof that there is any “overpopulation”of grizzly bears at all ? Are they wandering around outside Yellowstone and eating fish and wildlife officials perhaps ? What a shame that would be !
This short sighted onslaught against our wildlife must be stopped! There is NO overpopulation of anything except People! The only ones who push for delisting our endangered wild animals are the trophy hunters who kill for the thrill and the government who sells them the murder permit.
Cant wait to go shoot a griz!! 🙂
You all are saying its we humans that are the problem, the thing is we need to eat as well. And ranchers are opposite of lazy and they don’t want to kill all the Bears but they do want to kill a bear that’s hanging around eating they’re cows and calves what about the cow and the rancher that has been on the land almost as long as the grizz? Guess as long as the bear isn’t eating your pressious little pet dog that you paid a few hundred dollars for, when a bear eats a ranchers cow that would be just as bad as a bear eating your little car and you going to the insurance company and the insurance company says oh well sit tight we will look into it and get back to you in 5 yrs.
HOW CAN I HELP KEEP GRIZZLIES LISTED:
1) Get the Most Out of Don’t Delist Grizzlies Group: Make sure you see all the posts in this group. Go to Notifications and select ALL POSTS. Click on the three dots next to Notifications and select ADD TO FAVORITES. Add like-minded friends to this group.
2) Sign Petitions (make sure to sign for every member of your family who opposes delisting):
Change Petition (This is one to focus on the most) https://www.change.org/p/keep-yellowstone-area-grizzlies-pr…
Force Change Petition: https://forcechange.com/ …/prevent-hunting-of-grizzly-bears…/
Sierra Club: https://sierra.force.com/actions/National?actionId=AR0035686
White House petition (may be subsumed by the Change petition): https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/ …/continue-protecting-griz…
3) Share Petitions (with friends, family, on FB groups, in comments on articles, on Twitter, on Instagram). When possible, use hashtag #DontDelistGrizzlies
4) Contact celebs on social media, asking them to lend their voice or to share a petition. (See FILES for list of wildlife-friendly celebs and their twitter IDs/Facebook pages). When possible, use hashtag #DontDelistGrizzlies
5) Contact outdoor recreation companies on social media, asking them to lend their voice or share a petition (remind them that Patagonia has already done this). (Need someone to put together a list of these) When possible, use hashtag #DontDelistGrizzlies
6) Contact relevant officials. (Marianne Burdick is putting together a list.)
7) Participate in upcoming social media tweet storms (Ida Bean is putting together)
8) COMMENT on the USFWS proposal (Dawn and David Hatch are working on this). https://www.fws.gov/ …/03032016_US_Fish_and_Wildlife_Service_…
9) Compile a list of NGOs leading the fight. (Need someone to do this)
10) Add your own ideas to the comments and let me know if you want to volunteer to take any of these items on. Let’s save some grizzlies! #DontDelistGrizzlies
We are ranchers operating a cattle ranch along the border of Glacier National Park. We co exist with these animals and have found communities that support our economic bottom line (when bears do take livestock) to be very encouraging. We oppose de listing the Grizzly bear. Recent actions by the federal government are alarming to us as well.
We are concerned about the wellbeing of this species as we have noticed a marked migration from GNP into our range lands. We suspect more of a displacement of Grizzlies than an abundance. Please do not assume all livestock producers feel the same. We are stewards of our land and we value Grizzly bears as a treasure. Let’s work together to find a solution!
It is about time grizzlies are delisted and allow states to manage them. When there is a bear coordinator for the area east of US 89 on the front range there are too many bears. If they were in your back yard you would want them managed. Grizzlies have become too accustomed to humans and are we are not percieved as a threat.