The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed on Thursday stripping Endangered Species Act protections from the grizzly bear in and around Yellowstone National Park, saying the animal's numbers have rebounded sufficiently in recent decades.
While 700 individuals is an improvement from the low of 176 in 1975, it is not a "healthy" population. While grizzlies have made a comeback, their recovery could falter if federal safeguards are lifted, a move that would open the animals to public hunting outside the national park boundaries.
Native American tribes, which revere the bear, also have voiced skepticism about removing the grizzly's threatened status.
Sportsmen and ranchers, who make up a powerful political constituency in Western states, have strongly advocated de-listing grizzlies.