It’s time to weigh in on a new plan for grizzly bear recovery.
The comment period just opened for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal, released on Jan. 8, to keep the bears on the endangered species list in the Northern Rockies and Washington.
The plan is to continue to classify grizzlies as “threatened,” with some tweaks to how they’re managed. That includes some new strategies to help grizzlies move between ecosystems, which many consider a key component of recovery.
Right now, the five grizzly populations in the Northern Rockies are managed as islands. If the plan goes through, they will be managed as just one “distinct population segment.”
Also under consideration is a proposed new rule to give landowners more flexibility around killing bears that threaten livestock — a proposal many environmentalists say they’ll fight. Hunters have also said they’d rather start a grizzly hunting season to help manage these “problem bears.”
Meanwhile, western governors from Wyoming, Idaho and Montana say the bears have recovered and should no longer have any federal protections.
The following public hearings will start later this month, with information meetings from 3 to 5 p.m. local time and public hearings from 6 to 8 p.m.
- Jan. 28: Missoula, MT at the Hilton Garden Inn, 3720 N Reserve St
- Jan. 29: Coeur d’Alene, ID at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way, Building 19
- Feb. 10: Cody, WY at the Holiday Inn, 1701 Sheridan Ave
There’ll also be a virtual public hearing on Jan. 30 from 6-8 p.m. Plus, anyone can comment online now through mid-March.
A final decision could come around this time next year.
This all comes as a second Trump administration gears up to take office. Supporters are calling on the elected president to overrule the Service’s plan and delist the bears.
After the Jan. 8 announcement, Rep. Harriet Hageman, a Wyoming Republican also reintroduced a bill in Congress which would take away protections from Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzlies.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
