Slams Biden Administration for Moving the Goalposts on Recovery
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines issued the following statement today after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denied Montana and Wyoming’s petition to delist the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems.
“Today’s announcement is incredibly frustrating for Montana. For decades, Montana has followed the science and as a result, the bear has more than recovered in the Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems. Continuing to move the goalposts on recovery is only harming the bear and putting our Montanan communities at risk. This is a shameful partisan play, and I’ll be pushing back every step of the way.”
Timeline of Federal Grizzly Bear Actions and Events
- 1975: Grizzlies are listed as a threatened species in the Lower 48 under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority transferred from states to USFWS for recovery
- Estimated size of GYE population: 136. Estimated size of NCDE population: fewer than 200.
- 1982: USFWS establishes Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan.
- 1993: USFWS updates the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, outlining population objectives for six recovery areas, four in Montana.
- 2003: GYE population reaches recovery goal of 500 bears.
- 2004: U.S. Geological Survey estimates the NCDE population at 673 bears, exceeding the recovery goal of 500.
- 2006: USFWS revises Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan.
- 2007: USFWS delists grizzlies in GYE.
- 2009: Federal court puts GYE grizzlies back on the endangered species list.
- 2010: USFWS appeals relisting, maintaining that GYE bears are recovered.
- 2011: More than 800 grizzlies are estimated to live in the NCDE.
- 2017: GYE population reaches 700 bears, 40% above recovery goal. USFWS delists GYE grizzlies for a second time.
- 2018: Federal court puts GYE grizzlies back on the endangered species list. USFWS declares the NCDE population recovered but decides not to delist due to federal court ruling on GYE population earlier that year.
- 2022: GYE population reaches 965. NCDE population reaches 1,138.
- 2023: USFWS announces that its again considering removing NCDE and GYE populations from the threatened species list. GYE population reaches 1,030. NCDE population reaches 1,163.
Daines is a leading voice in the Senate calling for the delisting of Montana’s grizzly bears. See his work HERE.
###
Contact: Matt Lloyd, Rachel Dumke