Here’s why grizzly bears may be on their way off the endangered species list

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Grizzly bears have been protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since 1975. Discussion about delisting grizzlies in Idaho has been on the table for years. A legal agreement was reached Tuesday between three parties in a lawsuit over the protection of grizzly bears in the Gem state.

"The case is Save the Yellowstone Grizzly vs. USFWS and Idaho as co-defendants," said Graham Coppes, a lawyer closely associated with the case.

Save the Yellowstone Grizzly (STYG) is an advocate group dedicated to protecting grizzly populations in the lower 48 states. According to Coppes, Save the Yellowstone Grizzly is "decidedly opposed to delisting efforts."

The organization initiated a lawsuit against Idaho and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) after three grizzlies were killed in Tetonia despite being protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

"[STYG's] allegations in the case were that Idaho violated federal law when it failed to get the agreement of and concurrence from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to kill these three grizzly bears in Tetonia two falls ago," Coppes said. "They agreed that they will do that going forward."

As a part of the settlement agreement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has committed to revising or removing the ESA listing of grizzly bears in the lower 48 states by January 1, 2026.

The grizzly bear issue from a legislator's perspective

U.S. Senator Jim Risch of Idaho is pushing for Congress to pass his Grizzly Bear Review and Resource Restart (GRRR) Act. He believes the conservation efforts to restore grizzly populations in Idaho have been successful, now causing population density issues with the bears in our region. Senator Risch first introduced this legislation in July 2023.

According to a GRRR Act press release, "When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was created, the intent was to recover endangered species based on science. Currently, legal precedents surrounding the ESA make it nearly impossible to remove the species from the list regardless if population targets have been met."

Congressman Russ Fulcher has given full support for the grizzly bear legislation drafted by Senator Risch. The congressman endorsed a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director, Martha Williams, praising the terms of the aforementioned settlement.

"We support the recent settlement between the state of Idaho and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
regarding the Endangered Species Act status of grizzly bears in Idaho," the letter says.

The settlement was granted court approval on March 5. The legislators named on this letter are adamant that grizzly bears no longer qualify as endangered, and by maintaining their protected status, the federal government is needlessly wasting money.

"It’s long past time for the ESA to function as intended, with sparing use of DPS designations. We must focus protection on truly imperiled species rather than feeding a growing number of attorneys at government expense."

Do grizzlies need ESA protection?

Louisa Willcox, grizzly advocate and co-founder of Grizzly Times, has been studying these bears for decades. She believes that most people are undereducated about the reasons why grizzlies need protection.

"What you have to understand is that grizzly bears have been eliminated in 97% of the range that they used when Lewis and Clark came across the West in the early 1800s," Willcox said. "And, even with Endangered Species Act protections that have been afforded since 1975, that's still the number. We still have only 3%, despite all the heroic efforts made to improve the status of grizzly bears, improved numbers, improve habitat protections."

Delisting an animal as an endangered species usually opens up avenues of population management such as hunting. Willcox points out that man is already the number one predator for the grizzly bear even with provisions in place.

"Ninety percent of the grizzly bears that die in Greater Yellowstone died because we kill them, which says something, and that's under the Endangered Species Act," she explained. Whether we like it or not, We are God. We have the powers of life or death over the grizzly bear population in Yellowstone."

Willcox believes that, in part, delisting efforts are motivated by fear of large, meat-eating animals.

"I think we have deep in our DNA, deep in our subconscious, since we came off of the savannas in Africa, a fear of large carnivores that can eat you," Willcox said. "I think that is very profound. And there are not many things on the landscape that can do that anymore. The grizzly bear is one of the few."

Willcox says that humans have slowly become less willing to kill off animal populations, using past and present treatment of buffalo, wolves, and bears as an example.

"The ethos is changing," she said. "I think the question is, 'Will the ethos and our behavior change enough as the grizzly bears are changing what they're doing so that we find peace and a kind of equilibrium and indeed achieve long-term recovery?' That is what everybody wants, no matter what side of the delisting debate you're on."