Grizzly Management Would Fall to States Under New Proposal

On July 14, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced a revised proposal to increase management flexibility for grizzly bears in areas where the species has met or exceeded federal recovery benchmarks.

“The science is more than clear: grizzly bears have recovered and far exceeded every federal recovery benchmark. Today, Interior is returning conservation leadership to the Western states instead of Washington bureaucrats,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said.

There have been multiple attempts to delist grizz from the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but both ultimately failed in court. This proposal marks a different approach. Grizzly bears would remain listed on the ESA, but under section 4(d), the federal government will concede grizzly management to the states.

“The grizzly bear recovery story is one of America's great conservation successes,” Montana Governor Greg Gianforte said. “With this success has come a challenge—bears have expanded into new areas and conflicts have increased with farmers, ranchers, recreationists, and residents. Returning management to the states is a welcome change and Montana is ready to balance conservation and the safety of our communities.”

However, some think the revision will open the gates for more grizzly mortalities. “We’re disappointed the Trump administration is trying to make it easier to kill grizzly bears,” Andrea Zaccardi, senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Mountain Journal.

In the last 50 years, grizzly populations in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have increased from 136 to over 1,000. It’s an undeniable conservation victory achieved over decades of collaborative work between wildlife officials, states, tribes, federal agencies, private landowners, hunters, and conservationists. While the rule change won’t make grizzly tags available anytime soon, it will give states more flexibility and authority to manage them.

“Grizzly bear recovery has reached a critical point where management, not just protection, must lead the next chapter,” Jess Johnson, Government Affairs Director for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, told MeatEater. “This revision highlights the decades of work that have delivered significant successes and makes clear that continued progress depends on active, state-led management. It is not an endpoint but a transition. It is a milestone and a call to action, setting the stage for states to take on greater responsibility. It is up to us to ensure states rise to the occasion. This is a win worth celebrating.”

The public comment period on the proposed change to the 4(d) provision will be open from July 17 through August 17.

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