Yellowstone Grizzly Bear to Lose Endangered Species Protection, Can Be Hunted

The Trump administration is removing Endangered Species Act protections for Yellowstone grizzly bears, after more than 42 years on the endangered species list.

The Interior Department’s Fish and Wildlife Service announced the delisting decision Thursday, which immediately drew rebukes... “We have to wait 60 days, but on the 61st day we will sue to stop the delisting,” said Matt Bishop, of the Western Environmental Law Center, a Montana-based nonprofit that intervenes on behalf of conservation groups, referring to the waiting period for filing a lawsuit.

What happens now?  Grizzlies are most likely to be hunted.

Under current law, eliminating threatened species protection for the big bear paves the way for Montana, Idaho and Wyoming to take over responsibility from federal managers outside Yellowstone. That means fewer restrictions; states alone will make the call on dealing with nuisance bears — and will probably include a hunting season for grizzlies. Bears within the boundaries of the national park will remain a federal responsibility and will not be hunted, unless they leave Yellowstone.

Not all grizzly bears are impacted yet, but they could be next: 

The action will not affect the protected status of the other major population of grizzlies in the lower 48 states, those that live in and around Glacier National Park of Montana, which number about 1,000. However, experts say this population, too, could soon be delisted.

ACTIONS: Please call the Office of the Governor of Montana, Steve Bullock (406) 444-3111 and demand that this atrocity of trophy hunting be stopped before it becomes irreversible and places the future of the great Yellowstone Grizzly back in the balance.

Visit savetheyellowstonegrizzly.org

Sign petitions such as this one: https://www.change.org/p/montana-gov-steve-bullock-stop-montana-s-yellowstone-grizzly-trophy-hunt

Organizations such as the Natural Resources Defense Coucil, 350.org, the Sierra Club will be fighting hard against this administration.  Read up on their work at their web sites, follow them on Twitter, and give a donation to them or similar groups.  We need environmental groups to be well funded to fight this fight.  Their web sites have concrete ways you can get involved beyond giving them money if this fighting for this cause drives you.

Sources: 

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/339032-trump-removes-protections-for-yellowstone-grizzly-bear
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/science/yellowstone-grizzly-bear-endangered-species-list.html