Western US states are trying to curb grizzly bear populations

Following a recent spike in human encounters with grizzlies, a trio of Western states have become the bearers of bad news.

Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are currently pushing federal regulators to remove the protected status of grizzly bears and allow local hunters to target the species for the first time in decades.

Some quick background: Grizzly bears have made a roaring comeback since they were first put on the Endangered Species List in 1975, when just ~700 grizzlies roamed the Lower 48 US states. Their endangered status was removed in 2017 once the Lower 48 population reached ~2,000 – though grizzlies later regained protection in 2020 following a successful legal challenge from environmental and tribal groups.

But Western states say the growing grizzly population is becoming – wait for it – unbearable. Newly filed documents from Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming highlight two main reasons why the states are seeking to remove federal protections for grizzlies:

1. The bears are roaming far beyond their previous domain and encroaching into human populations. The range of grizzlies in the Lower 48 states has tripled since 1990 to reach 27,000 square miles, with bears recently seen across the Northern Rockies for the first time in 100+ years.
2. Grizzly conflicts are becoming more costly for state governments. Wyoming currently spends ~$2 million/year on conflicts stemming from grizzlies, who are increasingly burglarizing buildings, tangling with people, and killing numerous cows, sheep, chickens, and pets.

👀 Looking ahead… The US Fish and Wildlife Service is currently reviewing whether to remove protected status for all grizzlies in the Lower 48 states, with a decision expected by late January. Should the protected status be removed, grizzlies would join black bears and other brown bears as fair game for hunting.