Yellowstone Grizzlies Could Soon Lose Protections And Be Hunted Again

Jim Urquhart / AP

Grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park have rebounded so well over the past four decades that federal wildlife officials now want to lift threatened species protections.

In 1975, there were just 136 bears within the tri-state Yellowstone region, but that number has since grown to more than 700. Since the region's ecosystem "is at or near its carrying capacity for the bears," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to lift protections.

"The recovery of the Yellowstone grizzly bear represents a historic success for partnership-driven wildlife conservation under the Endangered Species Act,” the agency's director, Dan Ashe, said in a statement.

Tom Mangelsen / AP

Yellowstone grizzlies were briefly removed from the threatened species list in 2007, but a federal judge ordered them back on two years later, citing threats to their food supply.

Under the latest proposal, strict state and federal management of the grizzlies would prevent a population dive. If the region's number dipped below 600, all hunts and removals would be halted until the population increased, officials said.

Jim Urquhart / AP

Adult grizzles are very territorial and can be massive: Females can weigh up to 400 pounds, while males can tip the scales at nearly twice that. And with spring approaching, they are starting to emerge from the winter dens, many of them with cubs that were likely born in January. And when they emerge, they will be hungry.

There is no estimate for how many bears roam outside the park's 19,300-square-mile zone, but as the population increases, so have the number of interactions with humans — some of them fatal.

Matt Volz / AP

In 2011, two hikers are mauled to death by grizzlies in separate attacks in Yellowstone, the first such fatalities in the park in nearly 25 years. The deaths fueled a push from hunters and local lawmakers to lift the threatened species protections for population control.

Government agencies have already been trapping and killing dozens of Yellowstone-area grizzlies for years, but lifting threatened species protections would open hunts to the public — something wildlife advocates argue the bear recovery is too tenuous to withstand.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock told the Associated Press that state officials would manage the grizzly population responsibly and that any public hunt could be done in a way that avoids killing bears that live near Yellowstone National Park.

"Yellowstone wildlife is treasured. We understand that," he said. "We'll manage them in a way that addresses that sensitivity."

Jim Urquhart / Reuters

Earlier this year, the AP obtained a draft agreement that divvies up how many grizzlies can be killed by hunters in the Yellowstone management zone that includes Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

With the largest share of Yellowstone territory, Wyoming would get 58% of the permits. It's not yet clear how many permits would be issued, but in their proposal, wildlife officials said they have set a management goal of 674 grizzly bears in a zone that has more than 700.

The latest proposal must still undergo a 60-day review and public comment period before final consideration. A final decision is expected within a year.

from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1QvDO8D