The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a significant shift in its approach to grizzly bear recovery in the lower 48 states. With the transition to the new Trump administration, public review of this plan will be paused while the policy undergoes review by the new leadership.
The Service’s proposal aims to clarify the geographic scope of grizzly bear protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by establishing a single Distinct Population Segment (DPS) covering Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming, where suitable habitats exist and bear populations are either present or expected to recover. This adjustment would retain the threatened status for bears within this new DPS but remove ESA protections outside this region where grizzly bears are not present.
Martha Williams, Director of the USFWS, stated, “This reclassification will facilitate recovery of grizzly bears and provide a stronger foundation for eventual delisting. And the proposed changes to our 4(d) rule will provide management agencies and landowners more tools and flexibility to deal with human/bear conflicts, an essential part of grizzly bear recovery.”
This proposal also addresses past petitions from Montana and Wyoming to delist bears in specific ecosystems, deeming these actions not warranted based on current scientific data. The Service noted that grizzly bear populations are increasingly interconnected, indicating successful conservation efforts.
The establishment of a unified DPS is designed to enhance recovery efforts by promoting bear movement between currently isolated populations, speeding up recovery in less robust ecosystems, and ensuring the long-term viability of grizzly bears across their range.
The proposed 4(d) rule would further modify existing regulations, providing more management flexibility to deal with grizzly bear conflicts, particularly on private lands, while still aiming to support conservation goals necessary for delisting.
However, with the Trump administration now in place, the public review process for this plan has been put on hold. The new administration will review the policy to make sure it aligns with their priorities before moving forward with public engagement.
For more details on the proposal and future updates on the review process, visit the project webpage at https://www.fws.gov/grizzlyrulemaking.
