The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed removing grizzly bears from Endangered Species Act protection.
Threats to grizzlies will significantly increase after delisting and have the potential to quickly reverse the work of 40 years.
Issues including oversight, funding, connectivity, hunting, food security, habitat encroachment, accurate population counts, conflict prevention, the effects of climate change, and the anti-predator culture of western states haven’t been adequately addressed by the states nor the USFWS.
We applaud the USFWS’s work to recover Yellowstone ecosystem grizzlies from a low of around 136 grizzlies to their current population of 717, but they remain vulnerable and delisting significantly increases their vulnerability.
We oppose delisting at this time.