EDITORIAL: Is it time to delist grizzly bear?

Slowly and deliberately but perhaps inexorably, the grizzly bear may be on the path to removal from the federal threatened-species list.

A gathering of grizzly bear experts last week at Many Glacier looked at the status of the great bear and the possibility of delisting the species, which has been in “threatened” status since 1975.

Since that era — when perhaps 200 to 300 grizzly bears roamed the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem — the grizzly has made a remarkable recovery and now there are around 1,000 bears in Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and surrounding areas.

Years of research have produced the biological science to support delisting but the politics may be a little more complicated.

Groups already plan to challenge delisting proposals for two populations — those in the Northern Continental Divide and the Yellowstone area — because of opposition to delisting only distinct population segments.

In fact, a previous delisting move for Yellowstone was reversed by a legal challenge. Expect similar resistance for the Northern Continental Divide.

As with any major wildlife species change, there is bound to be plenty of debate when the delisting proposals begin their route through the thickets of regulatory requirements and timetables.

The best-case scenario would involve 18 months for the delisting process.

Considering the level of public interest in the iconic grizzly, that process could well take much longer.

However, it would appear it’s time to launch the effort.

With everything from bear-hair studies to population-trend monitoring to anecdotal evidence indicating that grizzly bears are doing quite well, perhaps delisting should be in their future.