This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
As this is breaking news, we will continue to update this article as we gather more information.
Jan. 9, 2 p.m.: This story has been updated to include comments from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided to keep grizzly bears in the Northern Rockies and Washington on the endangered species list.
Environmentalists are celebrating Wednesday鈥檚 announcement from the agency that the animals will remain classified as 鈥渢hreatened鈥� in those parts of the western U.S.
This means it remains illegal to kill, harm or harass the animals except in cases of self defense. And if the proposal goes through, there could be more exceptions for landowners defending livestock.
The announcement goes against , Idaho and Montana governors to delist the bears.
A new classification
The Service is proposing creating a 鈥渄istinct population segment鈥� for the grizzlies. Until now, the about 2,000 bears have been managed as five distinct groups in the region, including the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Northern Continental Divide.
According to a Service , 鈥淕rizzly bear populations are now geographically closer to each other than ever, and the Service has documented grizzly bear movement between some populations, indicating recovery zones are no longer discrete.鈥�
The Service鈥檚 director said this move will provide a stronger foundation for eventual delisting, since it could boost the genetic diversity of the species.
This proposal is similar to one from environmental groups that came out last month. Fifteen organizations the Service to consider all the bears in the Rockies as a 鈥渕etapopulation.鈥�
They argued the bears haven鈥檛 fully recovered since they only occupy a small slice of their former range and want the bears to move organically from ecosystem to ecosystem.
Andrea Zaccardi, with the Center for Biological Diversity, said she鈥檚 still reviewing the specifics of Wednesday鈥檚 announcement, but altogether she鈥檚 relieved.
鈥溾�奍t's great that the Fish and Wildlife Service finally followed the science and realized that grizzly bears still need protection,鈥� Zaccardi said.
A 鈥榖roken Endangered Species Act鈥�
Gov. Mark Gordon has argued management should go back to the states now that grizzly bears have reached population targets in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and their range has expanded.
鈥淥ur state wildlife managers are foremost experts on this bruin 鈥� they should be at the helm of decision making that impacts the daily lives of people in Wyoming who live and work in grizzly bear country,鈥� in a press release Jan. 8.
He also said he鈥檚 looking forward to working with the Trump administration to delist the bears, as well as on 鈥渞eforming the broken Endangered Species Act.鈥�
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Angi Bruce also said in a Thursday press release that the decision to keep bears listed is an "insult to the Endangered Species Act."
"This is not a science-based decision but a decision based on the federal government not wanting to give up control," she said.
Wyoming officials have previously said they plan to if the species is delisted. Wyoming, along with Idaho, tried to start hunting seasons the last time protections were removed.
For hunters like Jaden Bales, the announcement is a major disappointment. He lives in Lander, Wyoming and wants to see a grizzly hunting season in the state.
鈥淚 think the majority of the appeal isn't necessarily to hunt the grizzly bear itself,鈥� Bales explained. 鈥淚t's that we get to take over management of a species that we can call a conservation success.鈥�
The 4(d) rule
Residents of the Rockies may have an opportunity to kill grizzlies, but not by hunting.
In what seems like an attempt to appease all parties, the Service is also proposing a new rule, 4(d), that would give landowners more flexibility to kill bears when they threaten livestock.
"Grizzly bear expansion is challenging for local communities and working lands," the press release said.
The agency will be accepting comments on the proposal in the coming months. Zaccardi and other environmentalists say they plan to push back.
They also are disappointed the agency is proposing removing protections outside the Northern Rockies and Washington, in states such as California and Colorado.
How did we get here?
The Service first listed the grizzly bear as a threatened species in the lower 48 under the Endangered Species Act in 1975, making it illegal to
The agency removed the Greater Yellowstone population from the list in 2007 and 2017, arguing that the group's numbers had increased and its range had grown. Protections were restored, however, after environmental groups sued.
In 2024, more than in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem died, largely due to human causes, such as car crashes.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, 萝莉少女 in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the .