Friday, the Biden administration took the initial step in ending federal protections for grizzly bears in the northern Rocky Mountains, so paving the way for future hunts in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stated that state officials offered “substantial” evidence that grizzlies in the regions surrounding Yellowstone and Glacier national parks have rebounded from the brink of extinction.
However, federal officials disputed Idaho’s arguments that protections should be lifted outside these areas, and they expressed concern that new laws passed by Republican-led states may potentially threaten grizzly bear populations.
Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Martha Williams stated, “We will evaluate these and any other potential threats thoroughly.”
In a letter dated Wednesday, Williams informed the head of Montana’s wildlife agency that a statute enabling grizzlies to be killed if they assault livestock conflicts with the state’s commitment to bear protection. She stated that the legislative session of 2023 was a “good opportunity” to address these issues.
Friday’s action initiates at least a year of additional research before final decisions are made about the Yellowstone and Glacier regions.
The states want the protections to be eliminated so they may regain control of grizzlies and offer public hunts. As grizzly bear numbers have increased, more bears have ventured into populated areas, posing threats to public safety and causing problems for farmers.
State officials have stressed that future hunts will be limited and will not threaten the population as a whole.
Several years ago, when grizzlies temporarily lost their protections in the Yellowstone region, Wyoming and Idaho planned hunts that would have permitted less than two dozen bears to be killed during the first hunting season.
In Wyoming, about 1,500 people sought for 12 grizzly bear licenses in 2018 prior to a federal court blocking the hunt. About one-third of the applicants were out-of-state residents. Idaho issued just one grizzly bear license before prohibiting the hunt.
In recent years, Republican lawmakers in the region enacted more harsh measures against gray wolves, including looser trapping regulations that could lead to the unintentional killing of grizzlies.
Historically, up to 50,000 grizzlies roamed the western portion of the United States. Early in the 20th century, overhunting and trapping eradicated them from the majority of the country, and the final hunts in the northern Rocky Mountains occurred decades ago. There are now more than 2,000 bears in the Lower 48 states, and much bigger populations in hunting-permitted Alaska.
The proliferation of the species in the Glacier and Yellowstone regions has resulted in confrontations between humans and bears, including occasional attacks on livestock and fatal maulings of humans.
Governor Greg Gianforte of Montana applauded the administration’s announcement, stating that it might result in the state reclaiming management of a species that was placed under federal protection in 1975. He stated that the grizzly bear’s resurgence “represents a success for conservation.”
Until 1991, Montana maintained grizzly hunts under an exemption from federal safeguards that permitted 14 bears to be killed each autumn.
Under former President Donald Trump, the federal government moved to eliminate safeguards for Yellowstone ecosystem grizzlies in 2017. The Wyoming and Idaho hunts were about to commence when a court reinstated safeguards, agreeing with environmental groups that the delisting was not based on valid evidence.
These organizations want federal safeguards to remain in place and killing to be prohibited so bears can continue to move into new places.
Andrea Zaccardi, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, stated, “We should not be ready to trust the states.” State management, according to Derek Goldman of the Endangered Species Coalition, would be a disaster, therefore he is pleased that federal authorities are examining state regulations.
Dave Evans, a hunting guide at Wood River Ranch in Meeteetse, Wyoming, stated that the issue is difficult, and he can comprehend why individuals have opposing positions.
Evans stated, “You have so many opinions, some of which are not based on science, but the biologists are the ones who know the facts about the populations and what should be considered a goal for each area.” If you’re going to manage grizzly bears, you must maintain a sustainable population level. I am not a biologist, but I would adhere to scientific evidence.”
The region’s grizzlies are physiologically recovered, according to U.S. government biologists, but protections were still deemed necessary in 2021 due to human-caused bear fatalities and other stresses. Wildlife officials often exterminate bears deemed problematic.
Evans stated that demand for bear hunting licenses would likely be high if protections were removed.
Evans stated, “There would undoubtedly be a greater demand, and it would likely be quite expensive.” A guided bear hunt in Alaska may cost up to $20,000, so I would expect it to be in high demand.
Long overdue was a determination regarding the states’ petitions. Thursday, Idaho Governor Brad Little filed notice of his intent to sue over the delay. Idaho’s petition, which was broader than Montana’s, aimed to eliminate protections countrywide.
That would have included minor bear populations in parts of Idaho, Montana, and Washington, where experts say the animals have not yet returned to viable levels. It could have also stopped bears from returning to other regions, such as the North Cascades.
“While we continue to evaluate the USFWS decision, this is yet another instance of federal overreach and appears to have a disproportionate impact on North Idaho,” Little said in an email statement. His office will “continue to resist the federal government,” he stated.
In northern Idaho, encounters with grizzly bears are typically uncommon, but wildlife managers occasionally urge residents to be on the lookout. Idaho Fish and Game authorities believed there were 40 to 50 grizzly bears in the state’s northernmost region in 2021.
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