Bear Specialist Weighs in on Grizzly Status, Safety
The proposal would keep grizzlies listed as threatened but give Idaho, Montana and Wyoming more control, a change critics say could raise mortality.
- On Tuesday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced a proposal to grant Western states greater flexibility managing grizzly bears while maintaining the species' threatened status under the Endangered Species Act.
- Grizzly populations have swelled from fewer than 600 in 1975 to more than 2,000 today, prompting officials to transition from federal recovery to state-led stewardship of the species.
- The proposed revision to the federal 4 rule expands exceptions for the 'take' of bears—including trapping, relocation, or killing—to address conflicts between apex predators and human communities.
- Republican governors Greg Gianforte of Montana, Mark Gordon of Wyoming, and Brad Little of Idaho praised the decision, while Earthjustice warned it could put grizzly bears at greater risk.
- The Interior Department will accept public comments on the draft rule through August 17, 2026, as the agency seeks to finalize the plan for managing grizzly populations.
29 Articles
29 Articles
Feds propose rule shifting management of grizzly bears toward states
The federal government announced on Tuesday that it is planning to shift management of grizzly bears in the contiguous U.S. to the states. In a windy field south of Bozeman, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, flanked by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Idaho Gov. Brad Little and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, praised the recovery of the species from a few hundred bears in 1975 to a population exceeding 2,000 along the Continental Divide. Gianforte said the …
Feds propose rule shifting management of grizzly bears toward states • Washington State Standard
Grizzly bears (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service). The federal government announced on Tuesday that it is planning to shift management of grizzly bears in the contiguous U.S. to the states. In a windy field south of Bozeman, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, flanked by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Idaho Gov. Brad Little and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, praised the recovery of the species from a few hundred bears in 1975 to a population exc…
Idaho Capital Sun
Federal government proposes rule shifting management of grizzly bears to states
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The Feds Aim to Return Grizzly Bear Management to Western States. Could Federal Delisting Be Next?
The Interior Department announced yesterday that it was preparing to hand more management of grizzly bears to Western state fish-and-game agencies, a move that could eventually lead to federal delisting and a return to hunting of the iconic species. The announcement by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik was made in core grizzly bear habitat just north of Yellowstone National Park, with …
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