Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are taking responsibility of grizzly bear management around Yellowstone National Park Monday after 42 years of federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, Montana’s Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported.
It’s not clear how specific management of grizzly bears will change as potential alterations to the current management plan, such as hunting, will be made after the public has been allowed to comment on similar proposals. The process could cause policy changes to take months or years to be implemented.
The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced last month that it would remove grizzly bears from the Endangered Species List. The bear’s population has grown from 136 in 1975 to about 700 in 2017. (RELATED: Grizzly Bears Are Off The Endangered Species List)
The FWS ceding authority to the states removes a level of bureaucracy between identifying a problem and acting to fix it, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks spokeswoman Andrea Jones told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.
“We are able to have our on-the-ground folks respond more efficiently given one of the layers is removed in our ability to respond,” Jones said.
The FWS has been attempting to delist the grizzly since 2005, but lawsuits brought by conservation groups have thwarted its attempts. The grizzly bear met recovery goals outlined in its recovery plan in 2003.
Earthjustice, an environmental legal group, is prepared to sue over the most recent delisting decision.
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