Grizzly bears may be delisted

Grizzly bears could be delisted from the endangered species list in as little as one year.

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee just wrapped up their winter meeting in Montana. It’s reviewed a new report on the bears’ diet, and a major finding means they’re one step closer to getting the grizzly delisted.

“What the report told us was that while white bark pine is an important food source, it’s not critical to the bears’ survival in the ecosystem,” said Gregg Losinski with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. “This is really important because the one thing that was holding the grizzly from being re-delisted was the fact that there was concern over the role of white bark pine in the bears’ diet in relation to climate change.”

Losinski said it could still take another year before the bears are delisted. Legal challenges could cause further delays.