Gov. Mark Gordon on Tuesday officially petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from the endangered species list and put their management in the hands of the surrounding states.
The petition, filed with the support of Idaho and Montana, states that grizzly bears in the region have been fully recovered, as defined by federal guidelines, since 2003.
“This is an extraordinary and monumental success story for species recovery and should be celebrated,” Gordon said. “The GYE grizzly bear is ready to join the ranks of the bald eagle, American alligator, peregrine falcon and brown pelican as receiving proper recognition as a thriving, recovered and stable species.”
Gordon reiterated there is no biological or legal reason to keep ecosystem’s grizzly on the Endangered Species List. Data shows that the grizzly population totals more than 1,000 in the region, exceeding the requirements for a recovered, viable population.
“Grizzly bears in the GYE are fully recovered and their management is now best entrusted to the experienced and capable institutions of the states. After all, Wyoming has invested more than $52 million and dedicated countless hours of Game and Fish expertise to reach this point,” Governor Gordon said. “We’re optimistic the Service will view the petition favorably, and we look forward to working with them on delisting.”
The FWS has 90 days to review the petition. At that time, the petition can be denied or approved for additional review.
If approved, the FWS can take up to 12 months to further review and analyze the state’s request and come to a final decision.
In September, Gordon said he was confident the federal government would side with the states in removing the GYE bears from the list.
“I am optimistic,” he said at the time. “This administration … continues to talk about the science and how we need to follow the science, Wyoming has the very best science so I’ll take them at their word.”
In 1975, there were 136 grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In 2019, there were 728 bears, evidence of an effective conservation effort. At this point, grizzly numbers have been in the 700s for a number of years. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team’s analysis suggests that the park is at or near its ecological carrying capacity for grizzly bears.
Grizzly bears were removed briefly from the endangered species list in 2017, but a federal judge ordered them to be returned to the list, returning management of the animals to the federal government.
Wyoming’s delegation — U.S. Sens. John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis and U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney — are also unanimous in their support of removing the grizzly from the endangered species at.
Cheney introduced legislation called the “Grizzly Bear State Management Act of 2021,” which would empower states to manage their grizzly populations based on science. Barrasso and Lummis have offered the same legislation in the Senate.
Bears have become so populous in the park and Yellowstone area that it is common for tourists to encounter them every summer.
