The Latest: Wyoming steps back grizzly hunt quota claim

The Latest on the dispute over grizzly bear hunt quotas in Wyoming and Montana:

4:30 p.m.

A Wyoming Game and Fish Department official says he may have misstated that Wyoming was taking a portion of Montana’s grizzly bear hunt allocation to set its own quotas.

Large carnivore section supervisor Dan Thompson says if he did so he was wrong.

Center for Biological Diversity attorney Andrea Santarsiere says Wyoming officials told the audience in an April 12 public meeting that Montana agreed to reduce its allocation so Wyoming could set its quota using whole numbers.

Conservation groups said the claim was repeated at more than one meeting.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Greg Lemon said Tuesday there was no such agreement with Wyoming, and the issue of rounding up is unaddressed in a new three-state agreement for managing grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park.

Wyoming’s proposed hunt sets quotas of two female and 10 male grizzlies.

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1:09 p.m.

Conservation groups say Wyoming proposed to round up the fractional number of grizzly bears it can hunt this year after Montana officials agreed to reduce its own allocation.

Wyoming’s proposed hunt sets quotas of two female and 10 male grizzlies. The state was allocated 1.45 females and 9.86 males under a formula used by Wyoming, Montana and Idaho to decide hunting quotas.

Center for Biological Diversity attorney Andrea Santarsiere says Wyoming officials told the audience in an April 12 public meeting that Montana agreed to reduce its allocation so Wyoming could set its quota using whole numbers.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Greg Lemon said Tuesday there was no such agreement with Wyoming, and the issue of rounding up is unaddressed in a new three-state agreement for managing grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park.