One of America’s greatest conservation success stories is becoming a reality right before our eyes as the grizzly bears of Yellowstone National Park are set to be removed from the Endangered Species list. These bears have been protected under the Endangered Species Act for more than 40 years, but that’s all about to change with a government ruling last week that the population is no longer threatened.
The Montana FWP uses a number of grizzly bear images like this one on their website to help hunters and outdoorsmen positively identify grizzly bears in the backcountry. Photo: Montana FWP.
There were just 136 bears in Yellowstone in 1975. That is when grizzlies in all U.S. states, except Alaska, were placed under protection of the Endangered Species Act.
What is the population now?
There are now believed to be some 700 grizzlies in the area that spans Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.
“This achievement stands as one of America’s great conservation successes,” Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a statement.
According to the Associated Press, Grizzly bears once numbered about 50,000 and ranged over much of North America. Their population plummeted starting in the 1850s because of widespread hunting and trapping, and the bears now occupy only 2 percent of their original territory.
So what does this mean going forward?
The ruling by the Fish & Wildlife Service to remove the grizzlies of Yellowstone from the endangered list will allow each state to handle management of any grizzly bears, outside of Yellowstone National Park, beginning this summer. And yes, “management” does include hunting.
That’s right! It’s a very exciting time for sportsmen as we see a species grow to the point of offering a huntable population once again. It’s history in the making!
These hunt will obviously be very limited in number, with a goal of not allowing bear numbers to fall below 600. And again, they will take place outside of the park’s boundaries. Bears within the park will remain off limits.
There will obviously be plenty of opposition to come in regards to this new ruling. Reports say that 125 tribes have signed a treaty opposing hunting grizzly bears, which Native Americans consider a sacred animal.
Matt Hogan, the deputy regional director for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s says, “We feel like this species is more than adequately protected in the absence of (Endangered Species Act) protections.”
“Wildlife officials in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming have been managing the bear population alongside federal government officials for decades. Those states have submitted management plans that have been approved, and will follow strict regulations to keep a viable population of above 600 bears,” Hogan said.
What are your thoughts? Comment below and let us know if you think this was a good or bad move to de-list Yellowstone grizzlies from the endangered list.
