Last Friday, Governor Mark Gordon signed a bill passed by the state legislature which rules that the state Game and Fish Department could call for a hunt of grizzly bears if it determined that such a hunt would be beneficial to managing the population. Already, several environmental groups have filed notice that they intend to sue over that new law since the bear is still considered federally protected. In Senate File 93, the legislature stated that the grizzly bear population in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem has recovered “by all measurable recovery criteria since at least 2003, with approximately 700 grizzly bears currently living in the ecosystem.” Consequently, the law states that if a grizzly bear hunt is considered necessary to meet wildlife objectives and protect Wyoming workers, citizens and tourists, the state agency can call for the hunt. The Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Wyoming Wildlife Advocates and Western Watersheds Project have now sent the notice to Wyoming officials including the director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department that they intend to sue the state over the new law.
photo: wgfd
- National Elk Refuge February 2026 Biological Update: Mild Winter Persists in Jackson Hole - February 9, 2026
- Wyoming Game and Fish Hosts Workshops on Elk Feedground Management Action Plans - February 9, 2026
- Jackson Town Council Considers Unmet Housing Grant Application for S4 Flats on January 20th - January 20, 2026