WYOMING — On Monday, Jan. 27, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the cancellation of its information sessions and public hearings for grizzly bear delistings in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and online.
The in-person meetings were set to take place this week in Missoula, Coeur d’Alene and Cody after the USFWS proposed a new 4(d) Rule to clarify the geographic area where grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are subject to protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in early January. The rule also proposes revisions to the current protective regulations that would provide additional management flexibility for authorized agencies and individuals experiencing conflicts with grizzly bears.
These USFWS proposals come after Wyoming petitioned to remove the species’ “threatened” status and federal protections in January 2022 after the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) population was considered recovered in the region. Wyoming requested that the USFWS put Wyoming, Montana and Idaho in charge of the species management in the GYE, and the USFWS previously found the petition to hold enough ground for consideration.
After multiple months of missed deadlines by USFWS, Wyoming filed a lawsuit in May 2023 asking the court to order the Department of Interior to issue a final determination on Wyoming’s petition; on Friday, Dec. 6, U.S. District Judge Alan Johnson mandated a January deadline for federal wildlife officials to decide whether grizzly bear populations in the GYE should be delisted.
But in an online statement, the USFWS confirms the new presidential administration will now review the proposal before the meetings can be held.
“In light of the recent transition and the need for this Administration to review the recent grizzly bear proposed rule, the Service is cancelling all four of the public meetings and hearings that the agency voluntarily scheduled on this proposal,” the USFWS writes.
President Trump’s top pick for Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, has also expressed support for delisting grizzly bears again, but he has not yet been confirmed.
A 60-day public comment period is still open from now through March 17, and can be found here. There is currently no confirmation on if the public meetings will be rescheduled.
