Glacier Country News

Western Montana Representative Ryan Zinke, along with Representatives Harriet Hageman from Wyoming, Russ Fulcher from Idaho's 1st district, and Troy Downing from Montana's 2nd district, have made a formal request to President Trump and the Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. They are seeking a reversal of a policy proposal by the Biden Administration concerning grizzly bear management.

The proposal in question involves reclassifying grizzly populations into a single Distinct Population Segment (DPS) and denying petitions from Wyoming and Montana to delist grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE). The representatives argue that management of these populations should be returned to state wildlife agencies.

Rep. Zinke stated, "The Trump Administration was right in 2017 when they followed the recommendation of wildlife biologists to delist the bear, and I urge the new administration to overturn the bad Biden policy. The grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Area have fully recovered, just ask the wildlife experts and locals who see it firsthand every day."

Rep. Hageman added, "Instead of celebrating one of the greatest conservation success stories in American history, states were punished for doing their job too well. My colleagues and I are optimistic that President Trump's administration will restore sensibility by delisting the grizzly bear and returning management to state control."

Rep. Downing expressed his disappointment with recent proposals by stating, "I was very disappointed in the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed rule revising the Endangered Species Act listing for grizzly bears." He emphasized his support for urging President Trump and Secretary Burgum to reject this proposal.

These representatives believe that current protections under ESA are more about government control than conservation efforts based on scientific findings.