Some see decision as premature, others as overdue

More than four decades after listing it as an endangered species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Thursday the delisting of the grizzly bear.

“This achievement stands as one of America’s great conservation successes; the culmination of decades of hard work and dedication on the part of state, tribal, federal and private partners. As a Montanan, I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together,” Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said in a prepared statement.

Loren Grosskopf, Park County commissioner and appointed member of the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee (YES), helped write the grizzly conservation strategy draft for the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC). That draft is now the rule and Wyoming, Idaho and Montana have gained the right to manage their own grizzly populations.

“We need to celebrate,” Grosskopf said. “Everyone involved is relieved.”

He said a great deal of thought and effort went into the conservation draft the committee delivered to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year. The final delisting rule, a hefty 515-page document, has been published and will take effect in 30 days, according to Zinke’s news release.

The federal government estimates there are now around 700 grizzlies in the ecosystem.

The delisting is both a proof of success in bringing back grizzlies from the brink in the Yellowstone ecosystem and a needed measure to stop the bears from expanding into residential areas, according to Grosskopf.

“This spring, a sow and cubs were seen crossing the highway in Ralston. They are now common in the Willwood corridor and are wintering in the McCullough Peaks,” Grosskopf said.

Grizzlies are expanding toward Powell, foraging for food in agricultural areas, he said.

“It’s not acceptable to have grizzlies in our backyards. They are well beyond their socially acceptable habitat,” Grosskopf said.

Yet he also knows there are many groups that will be compelled to fight the decision.

Chris Colligan, wildlife program manager for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC), vowed to continue to do what’s best for the bears.

“Our efforts will be to keep bears alive, and our work continues despite the decision,” Colligan said.

The coalition has 26 employees in offices in Cody, Lander, Jackson Hole and Bozeman, working as a conservation advocacy organization, Colligan said.

“We have the ecosystem surrounded,” Colligan said.

The group has worked to reduce bear conflicts, funded bear-proofing projects and is currently working on many conservation issues in the Yellowstone ecosystem.

The GYC made a statement immediately following the delisting announcement. 

“We’re not only concerned about the future of the grizzly, we’re also worried about the law that played such an important role in bringing it back from the brink — the Endangered Species Act (ESA),” said GYC Executive Director Caroline Byrd. “Right now, some politicians are trying to weaken the ESA. This law is 99 percent effective. Since 1973, only seven of the 1,800 species protected by the Act have been lost.”

The coalition has asked for a delay of at least five years before grizzly hunts can be considered, according to Colligan.

The Sierra Club also issued a statement.

“The decision comes despite serious concerns in the scientific community about a declining, isolated population with diminishing food resources and record-high mortalities,” the release read.

The grassroots environmental organization claims to have more than 3 million members and supporters.

Bonnie Rice, senior representative for the Sierra Club’s Greater Yellowstone/Northern Rockies campaign program “Our Wild America,” called the move premature.

“We’re not against delisting, but we’re not there yet,” she said.

Rice disputes the population count, questioning why the population of the bears has flattened, but the range has increased by 38 percent. 

“It doesn’t add up. They’re looking for different food sources,” she said. “They’re trying to exist on 2 percent of their historic range.”

Rice also called for a moratorium on hunts.

“If there’s trophy hunting on the doorstep of Yellowstone, there will be a national outcry against it,” she said.

Many Native American tribes also have come out against the delisting. The grizzly is considered a sacred animal in many cultures.

“To an outfitter, the grizzly is an economic resource; to a rancher, ridding the area of grizzlies offers the potential for greater profits,” said Leon Rattler, of the Blackfeet Nation, in a letter to the IGBC. “For us, as spiritual and ceremonial people, we do not trophy kill those we pray to for blessings. For merchants, crudely stated, the grizzly is worth more alive than dead.”

Brian Nesvik is ecstatic that grizzlies have finally been delisted. Nesvik is both the chief game warden and chief of the Wildlife Division at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department; he previously was the Cody region’s game warden supervisor. Nesvik also is part of YES and has served with the subcommittee for the past four years, chairing the committee for more than a year. He’s one of the state’s top experts in dealing with grizzlies as well as overseeing the process of conflict mitigation.

“This is a good day and a long time coming,” Nesvik said.

Since 2007, when grizzlies were first declared recovered, Nesvik has watched the population grow and the number of conflicts with humans increase. Farmers and ranchers were the hardest hit.

“They’ve expanded in their distribution. Ten years ago you wouldn’t have heard of grizzly bears being near Ralston, on Heart Mountain, in corn fields — you wouldn’t have heard about that in 2007,” he said. “(Grizzlies) will find a food source where they jeopardize human safety.”

Grizzlies commonly find livestock and feed on a herd, according to Nesvik. When that happens, the bears are removed. Some are trapped and moved to a safe area, but some have to be culled. That’s hard on everyone involved due to the respect they have for the species.

“They’re pretty impressive animals and they’re very, very strong — just an incredible species,” Nesvik said.

He says it’s important to recognize that the recovery is due in part to the people of Wyoming. Sportsmen in the state have paid more than $45 million, through fees and the purchase of tags, to fund research and programs for the grizzly since its listing.

He also understands that there will be differing opinions on how to manage the species.

“We as a department in the State of Wyoming respect all of the diverse perspectives on this particular species,” he said. “I think it’s great that people care that much about wildlife and that they’re so passionate.”

Grosskopf said there won’t be much difference between management by the federal government and management by the states. There will be a five-year monitoring period in which the Fish and Wildlife Service will watch every aspect of the three states’ management programs.

“The only thing different will be that hunting may be available. That’s the hot-button issue,” Grosskopf said.

He defends hunting as a management tool. 

YES held official comment periods several times a year for the past four years, according to Grosskopf.

“All comments have been addressed. They’re just not happy with the answers. (Delisting) isn’t the end of the story. It’s just the beginning of a new era,” he said.