Congressman Zinke Reacts to The USFWS Delisting Grizzly Bears from ESA Protections

Today, Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke reacted to the completion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s initial review of three petitions received to remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for grizzly bears in the lower 48 States.

“The time to delist the grizzly is long overdue. As Secretary I followed the science and guidance of wildlife experts and delisted the Greater Yellowstone Grizzly only to have it overturned by a radical activist judge,” Zinke said. “I will be working with the Montana and neighboring delegations to introduce legislation to delist the bear and restore state management to our wildlife.” 

The Service found that petitions from Montana and Wyoming present substantial information indicating the grizzly bear in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) may qualify as their own distinct population segment and may warrant removal from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife.

The Service will now initiate a comprehensive status review of the grizzly bear in the NCDE and GYE based on the best available scientific and commercial data available to inform a 12-month finding. If the 12-month finding results in proposing one or more DPSs for delisting, the Service will consider those in the context of the ongoing recovery for the rest of the population in the larger listed entity, and any proposed rule would have additional public notice and comment.

Background:

In 2017, as Secretary of the Interior, Zinke delisted the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear from ESA protections.

###