Idaho delegation urges Fish and Wildlife Service to review Idaho petition to delist grizzly bear

WASHINGTON D.C. (KIFI) – U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo and Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Martha Williams demanding a response to Idaho’s grizzly bear delisting petition.  

“Idahoans have a unique interest in the delisting of the grizzly bear due to a recent and significant increase in depredation events within the state,” the Delegation wrote. “Over the past five years, Idaho’s Boundary and Bonner Counties annually experienced two to three grizzly bear depredation events. This year that number was 21.”

“As grizzly bear populations continue to meet and exceed recovery targets, human-bear interactions will also increase,” the letter continued. “Pending resolution of Idaho’s petition to delist the grizzly bear population in the lower 48 states, we request that USFWS devote more of the resources that are currently allocated to preventing human-bear interactions on the regional scale to Idaho.”

To read the full letter, click here.