Wyoming Wildlife Federation Statement on Proposed Grizzly Bear Management Rule
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposed revised 4(d) rule intended to give states greater responsibility for managing recovered grizzly bear populations while they remain listed under the Endangered Species Act.
This is a conservation success worth celebrating. Grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have grown from just 136 animals in 1975 to more than 1,000 today, reflecting decades of work by state wildlife professionals, hunters, landowners, communities, and conservation partners.
“Grizzly bear recovery has reached the constructive point where management, not just protection, must lead the next chapter,” said Jess Johnson, Government Affairs Director for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation. “If the rule reflects today’s announcement, it will mark an important milestone in one of America’s greatest wildlife recovery stories. It recognizes decades of conservation success and creates an opportunity for states to carry that success forward through active, science-based management. I have every confidence Wyoming’s wildlife professionals will continue the outstanding stewardship that has brought grizzly bears to this point.”
The Wyoming Wildlife Federation worked alongside the Property and Environment Research Center, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Boone and Crockett Club to propose a framework that recognizes recovery, expands state management responsibility, supports effective conflict response, and maintains strong biological safeguards for healthy grizzly populations.
WWF looks forward to reviewing the proposed rule, understanding the next steps in the federal process, and providing Wyoming’s hunters, anglers, landowners, and communities with additional information as the proposal moves forward.
