The U.S. House is set to consider whether grizzly bears in the region in and around should be taken off the endangered species list.
A resolution the Natural Resources committee July 15 by one vote. It鈥檚 the latest development in the ongoing battle over the future of grizzly bear protections in the lower 48.
Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming) introduced to delist the bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), which covers her home state, and slivers of Idaho and Montana. Wyoming lawmakers have proposed in recent years, though they have never advanced.
Hageman and others argue the population has rebounded.
鈥淭he GYE grizzly population has exceeded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service鈥檚 recovery goals for over two decades,鈥� Hageman said in the committee meeting.
was to get to 500 bears after the population was first listed as 鈥渢hreatened鈥� under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. Now, there鈥檚 more than 1,000 bears. Hageman said this means more bear encounters, citing incidents of livestock kills and human attacks.
But environmental groups are concerned about the population鈥檚 geographic and genetic isolation, plus the threat of hunting if federal protections go away. Additionally, in 2024, more than in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem died, largely due to human causes, such as car crashes.
More than 60 groups signed a urging committee members to vote 鈥渘o鈥� on the resolution. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) led the charge among lawmakers.
鈥淭he grizzly could once again vanish from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem,鈥� said Huffman.
But Hageman said Wyoming has a sound management plan and, if this grizzly population is delisted, resources could be redistributed to other species in need.
鈥淚f we could start hunting the bear, that would bring revenue into the state of Wyoming for management of other species,鈥� she stated.
Huffman pushed back.
鈥淚t seems like a rather hollow assurance to say that if we delist the bear and just let it go back to the state,鈥� he said, 鈥渢hat we'll focus our efforts and our resources on other species, when you are cutting all the programs and the budgets that would help those other species.鈥�
Despitethe opposition, the resolution passed 20 to 19 in favor of delisting grizzlies from the endangered species list. It also aims to bar judicial review since judges have previously of delisting efforts.
This all comes after an by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in the final days of the Biden administration, that is slated to keep the bears federally protected.
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 .