A federal appeals court ruled that grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which includes roughly 34,000 square miles in parts of Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, will remain protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The decision, issued on July 9 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, affirmed a 2018 District Court ruling that required the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to put grizzly bears back on the endangered species list after the agency removed them in 2017. The move protects around 700 grizzly bears that live in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, from being hunted for “trophies.”
Senior attorney Andrea Zaccardi, of the Center for Biological Diversity, said:
The courts have repeatedly slammed the Fish and Wildlife Service for prematurely removing federal protections for grizzly bears. I hope the agency will now concentrate on fully recovering these magnificent animals, not stripping them of needed safeguards.
The ruling clarifies that a “commitment to increase population size is required to ensure long-term viability,” and says that the grizzly bear is “an iconic symbol of the Rocky Mountain West.”
Zaccardi stated:
This is a tremendous victory for all who cherish Yellowstone’s grizzly bears and for those who have worked to ensure that they are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Grizzlies still have a long way to go before recovery. Hunting these beautiful animals around America’s most treasured national park should never again be an option.
After the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Yellowstone grizzlies from the federal endangered and threatened species list in 2017, several conservation groups and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe disagreed with the decision. Following after, a Montana federal court’s 2018 ruling blocked hunts. The district court’s order was appealed by the Fish and Wildlife Service and several intervenors, composed of states of the Yellowstone area and private farming and hunting organizations.
If you appreciate these large beautiful creatures, you can help to ensure that Yellowstone’s Grizzlies Remain Protected by signing a petition here.
