U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Delist Yellowstone Grizzly Bear
- Details
- Parent Category: Federal Agencies
- Category: Fish and Wildlife Service
- Published: Sunday, 25 June 2017 14:40
- Hits: 3055
On June 22, 2017, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will delist the Yellowstone population of the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis). According to the Service, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Distinct Population Segment (Yellowstone DPS) of the grizzly bear has recovered to the point that federal protections are no longer necessary and overall management of the species can be returned to the states and tribes.
The Yellowstone DPS consists of grizzlies in portions of northwestern Wyoming, southwestern Montana and eastern Idaho. The Service estimates that the population has rebounded from as few as 136 bears in 1975 to approximately 700 today. The Yellowstone DPS now occupies more than 22,500 square miles, more than double its range from the mid-1970s.
Read more: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Delist Yellowstone Grizzly Bear