Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) has petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to remove the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) population of grizzly bears from the Endangered Species List. The petition claims grizzly bears have been fully recovered since 2003.
“This is an extraordinary and monumental success story for species recovery and should be celebrated,” Gordon said. “The GYE grizzly bear is ready to join the ranks of the bald eagle, American alligator, peregrine falcon and brown pelican as receiving proper recognition as a thriving, recovered and stable species.”
Wyoming, along with Montana and Idaho, approved a modified tri-state Memorandum of Agreement, which establishes new management targets and practices to keep the bear population above the minimum recovery level after their delisting.
USFWS has 90 days to review the petition and if approved for additional review, may take up to a year to further analyze the request before issuing a final decision.
