JAN. 27 UPDATE: On Monday, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the cancellation of its information sessions and public hearings in Missoula, Coeur d’Alene, Cody, and online.

“Public Meeting Update: In light of the recent transition and the need for this Administration to review the recent grizzly bear proposed rule, the Service is cancelling all four of the public meetings and hearings that the agency voluntarily scheduled on this proposal.” - USFWS

Cancelling opportunities for public input is a concerning development in what has been a years’ long effort to arrive at the recently announced decisions. GYC remains committed to monitoring this evolving situation and keeping you informed.

Currently, public comments are still being accepted online.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to hear from people who care about grizzly bears and want to help shape their future in Missoula, Montana, Cody, Wyoming, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and online. In early January the Service moved to keep grizzly bear populations protected under the Endangered Species Act and laid out the next steps for bear co-management with the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.  

The decision recognized the success of decades of investments and community-based conservation efforts, and the need for ongoing collaboration among those living with bears. Once on the brink of extinction, grizzly bears have made a remarkable comeback thanks to coordinated on-the-ground partnerships. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s goal is to make sure communities have the best available tools for living alongside grizzly bears, and that any future transition to state management of bears maintains and builds upon this success well into the future.  

The Service is seeking comment from the public on its proposed rule to clarify the geographic area where grizzly bears in the lower 48 states retain protections under the Endangered Species Act, as well as revisions to the current protective regulations which may provide additional management flexibility for agencies and individuals experiencing conflicts with grizzly bears. Further information regarding this proposed rule and accompanying official documents, are available here.

Here are a few suggested comments:  

• Refining the geographic boundary of a new Distinct Population Segment (DPS) where grizzly bears retain Endangered Species Act protections and gives communities more tools to effectively co-manage bears charts a durable path towards lasting grizzly bear recovery. This new (DPS) boundary is reasonable; it contains all the suitable habitat in lower-48 states where grizzly bears currently exist or are likely to exist in the foreseeable future. 

• The conservation success of grizzly bears is because of decades of meaningful coordination among Tribes, state and local governments, the federal government and non-profit organizations. The proposed 4(d) rule builds upon this success and gives communities more flexibility and tools to live alongside grizzly bears, while ensuring robust protections remain for bears across their range as recovered populations expand. The details regulating the implementation of the proposed 4(d) rule should be well defined in the Service’s final rule. 

• Grizzly bear management decisions should be driven by science and wildlife experts, not politicians. The administrative process initiated by the Service’s decisions should be allowed to proceed. 

Please consider submitting a written comment here.

Let the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service know that community input for grizzly bear conservation is important to you during one of their upcoming in-person meetings. 

Tuesday, January 28 | 3 - 8 p.m. MT
Hilton Garden Inn, 3720 North Reserve Street 
Missoula, MT 

Wednesday, January 29 | 3 - 8 p.m. PT
Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way, Building 19 
Coeur d’Alene, ID 

Monday, February 10 | 3 - 8 p.m. MT
Holiday Inn, 1701 Sheridan Ave 
Cody, WY  

There will also be an online, informational-only session.

Thursday, January 30 | 6 - 8 p.m. MT

Online (Link Coming Soon)

Thank you for supporting the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and our grizzly bear conservation efforts. Together, we can work toward keeping bears alive, people safe, and livelihoods intact. 

—Matt Cuzzocreo, Senior Wildlife Conservation Associate (Lander, Wyoming)