State misses the mark on grizzly delisting
At the heart of the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems, grizzly bears symbolize the wildness of Montana. Healthy grizzly populations demonstrate healthy ecosystems. Montana has more grizzlies than any other state outside Alaska and we should be proud of that.
Grizzlies have made great strides toward recovery in certain ecosystems, but the law requires that in addition to numbers of bears, careful management must be in place before the grizzly is delisted from the Endangered Species Act. We have previously supported the delisting of grizzly bears and turning management over to the states, but our position has changed due to recent actions of the state Legislature and Fish, Wildlife and Parks leadership that threaten grizzly bear recovery.
The following issues must be corrected before grizzly bears can be delisted: Management plans must manage for stable populations in core areas after delisting. Upon delisting, the state plans to reduce grizzly numbers even in core grizzly habitats and this is unacceptable. We haven’t recovered grizzlies to healthy populations so the state can then drive their numbers down after delisting.
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