Governor’s Push to Restore Management of Grizzly Bears to State
Clears Key Hurdle
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – In January of 2022, the State of Wyoming,
under Governor Mark Gordon’s leadership, petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service to delist the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) grizzly bear
population. Today, the Service has completed its initial review of that
petition and found that the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
may warrant removal from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife. The
Service will now initiate a 12-month status review of the GYE grizzly bear. If
the removal of the GYE grizzly bear is warranted, management authority will be
given to the State of Wyoming.
“This is
a positive step and I thank the Service. Wyoming’s petition, filed early last
year, shows that – after 46 years, and over $52 million dollars of investment
by Wyoming sportsmen and women – the population of the bear is far above
long-established recovery goals,” Governor Mark Gordon said. “In addition,
Wyoming has an established framework to provide adequate protection and
management of the bear in the future. I trust the FWS will continue to use the
best scientific evidence, and I hope that Wyoming will soon manage this species
as part of our treasured wildlife populations”
Wyoming
already has a grizzly bear management plan in place, and it will be amended to
recognize the necessary legal requirements to satisfy the Endangered Species
Act requirements for post-delisting management.
“Director
Nesvik and I will be discussing timelines and next steps with the Fish and
Wildlife Service and senior Department of Interior officials in the next
several days,” Gordon said.
Today,
there is an expanding number of grizzly bears that have grown beyond the edges
of the bear’s biological and socially suitable range. With refined population
estimates, data shows the population numbers more than 1,000 bears, far beyond
all scientific requirements for a recovered, viable population.
“Game and
Fish stands ready to manage this population with robust public involvement and
the best science at a moment's notice,” said Game and Fish Director Brian
Nesvik. “Game and Fish has a strong track record of managing grizzly bears
during the times they have been delisted in the past,”
-END-
