Grizzly Bear Decision Protects Bears While Providing a Path for Durable Recovery and More Tools for Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 8, 2025 

Contact:  
Emilie Ritter, eritter@greateryellowstone.org

Thanks to coordinated conservation efforts over the last half century, grizzly bears across the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems have made a remarkable comeback under Endangered Species Act protections. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to keep grizzly populations protected under the Act and proposed next steps highlights the unique needs of grizzlies and charts a durable path for improved co-management with states so that communities have the best available tools for living alongside bears. This decision recognizes the success of decades of investments and community-based conservation efforts, and the need for continued collaboration. 

Work remains to ensure a transition to full state management provides adequate support for grizzly bears and the people who live alongside them. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) remains committed to ensuring grizzlies have sturdy supports in place to thrive long into the future. 

“Grizzly bears on the brink of extinction were one of the main drivers behind Greater Yellowstone Coalition’s founding over 40 years ago. Thankfully, grizzlies are no longer on the brink, but the decision to maintain protections for bears demonstrates more work remains,” said GYC Executive Director Scott Christensen. “Our goal is to ensure that any future transition to state management maintains and builds upon this conservation success long into the future.”  

Looking ahead, GYC will continue to promote policies and projects that support grizzlies and the people who live alongside them. This includes ensuring effective plans and guardrails are in place to support a successful and lasting transition to state management. This will require federal and state assurances for population stability and long-term monitoring, protection of core habitat, commitments to conflict prevention, and plans for promoting continued expansion and presence in habitat that links Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Continental Divide ecosystems to one another and other recovery areas.  

Many federal, state, Tribal, and local entities have a role in grizzly bear management. GYC is working to build consensus around the framework of management policies and commitments that we believe will support healthy grizzly populations across the Northern Rockies regardless of their listing status. There is more work to be done to ensure this framework includes everything necessary to sustain the conservation success story of Greater Yellowstone’s grizzlies. 

“While living with grizzly bears isn’t always easy, we know that management policies driven by wildlife experts, not politicians, can create the conditions that allow people and bears to thrive on shared landscapes,” Christensen said. “Today’s announcement acknowledges the challenges grizzly bears still face, and at the same time provides an opportunity to achieve meaningful recovery while employing more tools for people living alongside bears.” 

Grizzly bears living in the lower 48 states were listed as a Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. Today, between 950 and 1,000 grizzly bears roam Greater Yellowstone. Just 40 years ago, only 130 bears were living in and around Yellowstone. 

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