Delisting deliberated: Fish and Wildlife considers removing grizzly from endangered species list

Posted 11/10/15

“A final decision on whether to publish a delisting proposal will be made over the next several months,” said Ryan Moehring, Fish and Wildlife Service public affairs specialist in Denver.

Two years ago, both the Yellowstone Ecosystem …

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Delisting deliberated: Fish and Wildlife considers removing grizzly from endangered species list

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Since they believe the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) grizzly bear population recovered, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering a proposal to remove the bear from the endangered species list.

“A final decision on whether to publish a delisting proposal will be made over the next several months,” said Ryan Moehring, Fish and Wildlife Service public affairs specialist in Denver.

Two years ago, both the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee and Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee accepted new findings and supported Fish and Wildlife moving forward with developing a delisting rule, said Dan Thompson, Wyoming Game and Fish Department large carnivore section supervisor in Lander.

Grizzlies were delisted in 2007, but back on the list in 2009. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2011 that grizzly bears in the GYE remain on the endangered species list until the federal government could provide better data explaining how grizzlies will cope without whitebark pine.

Whitebark pine yields high-calorie nuts grizzly bears consume prior to hibernation when the nuts are available. Whitebark pine has been devastated by pine beetles, blister rust and climate change.

Evidence suggested whitebark pine’s decline has not had a severe impact on grizzlies in the GYE, according to a December 2013 report, “Response Of Yellowstone Grizzly Bears To Changes In Food Resources: A Synthesis Final Report.” The report was presented to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee and Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee.

Bonnie Rice, senior representative for the Sierra Club’s Greater Yellowstone/Northern Rockies campaign, said she believes delisting is premature and would threaten the population’s full recovery.

The loss of traditional food sources is increasingly forcing bears to the outer limits of their habitat and into conflict-prone situations as they search for alternative foods, and the number of conflicts and deaths is on the rise, Rice said. “These are warning signs of a threatened recovery that must be heeded.”

“No — whitebark pine is an important food source for grizzly bears, but the grizzly is not dependent on whitebark pine for survival, Moehring said. “The best-available science demonstrates that whitebark pine declines will not be a limiting factor in the continued sustainability of grizzly bear populations.”

Fish and Wildlife believes that the Yellowstone grizzly is biologically recovered, Moehring said. “Therefore, as directed by the Endangered Species Act, we are considering whether to move forward with a delisting proposal. Discussions with states and tribes and partner agencies are ongoing, allowing us to consider partner input and to ensure that the population would remain viable and recovered in the absence of ESA protections.”

“The best future for our region — its wildlife, the economy and our outdoor heritage — is one solidly grounded in fact and sound science,” Rice said. “Americans have invested too much in grizzly bear recovery to allow politics to push the animals back towards extinction.”

“All of our decisions are based on the best-available science,” Moehring said. “Politics have no place in wildlife management.”

“The population of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region has not grown for over a decade, Rice said.

“The Yellowstone population of grizzly bears is growing. Since 2001, the population has increased by approximately 180 bears,” Moehring said.

“This fall, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) reported a new population estimate for the Demographic Monitoring Area of 714, which was lower than last year’s estimate of 757,” Moehring said.

Frank van Manen, the IGBST leader, explained at the recent Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee (YES) meeting that there were substantial annual variations in these estimates and therefore it is important to focus on trend over time, not on any individual year or even several years.     

However, some U.S. National Park experts believe as many as 1,000 grizzly bears live in GYE.

In 2005, there were more than 500 grizzlies in the GYE, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Expanding the grizzly’s range would aid genetic diversity.

“Facilitating connectivity between grizzly bear populations, particularly between the Northern Continental Divide and Yellowstone ecosystems, will reduce the probability of loss of genetic diversity and help populations remain healthy and viable long into the future,” Moehring said. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to facilitating this occasional movement between ecosystems. This has been and will continue to be a Service priority.”

The public would have the opportunity to weigh-in.

Any delisting process requires extensive opportunities for public review and comment and scientific peer review prior to any final decision on such a proposal. “Delisting would only occur if there is a very high level of confidence that the population will remain recovered and never again need ESA protections,” Moehring said.

People and bears can live and thrive together, Rice said. “The key is to focus on implementing proven methods for reducing conflicts between people and bears, and addressing the root causes.

“Unfortunately, human-bear conflicts are inevitable, especially as bears disperse into new areas,” Moehring said. “We continue to work with our partners and the public to minimize these conflicts through extensive outreach and education efforts, assisting residents in bear country with electric fencing and other security devices, and ongoing management of nuisance bears when they do occur.”

“The strength of the Endangered Species Act lies in its scientific foundation. It works, but we have to give it the time needed, especially for slow-reproducing animals such as the grizzly bear,” Rice said.

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