Gianforte petitions to have grizzly bears delisted

Gov. Greg Gianforte said Monday the state will petition the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to delist the grizzly bear in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem.

The NCDE is a large swath of land — about 8 million acres — that runs from Glacier National Park to Ovando along the Continental Divide. Its population of bears is about 1,000.

“Due to the work and sacrifice of many Montanans over decades, Montana has been successful in recovering grizzly bears in the NCDE,” Gianforte said in a press release. “With the grizzly bear recovered, keeping the species listed under the Endangered Species Act will only continue to impact communities, farmers and ranchers, and recreationists around the state. It also limits Montana’s options when it comes to dealing with conflict bears.

“We’ve achieved the goals set for us. It’s time for the state to take over management,” the governor said.

The grizzly has continued to expand its range in the past few years, particularly in Eastern Montana, where last year a wandering male grizzly was found in the Big Snowy Mountains.

Conflicts with ranchers, particularly on the east side, were also up in 2021, with a total of 11 bears removed both in and out of the NCDE, FWP bear biologist Cecily Costello said during a meeting of NCDE bear managers last week.

In 2018, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a population objective for the ecosystem to maintain a population size above 800 bears with at least 90% certainty. Effectively, this would mean managing for a population of approximately 1,000 grizzly bears, Gianforte’s office said.

But the courts have found that grizzlies need to be recovered in all regions, not just one.

Federal judge Dana Christensen ruled in 2018 that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service can’t delist grizzly bear populations piecemeal without taking into account the impact on other populations. His ruling came after the Fish and Wildlife Service delisted bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, in turn, all set up hunting seasons to allow a taking of bears. Wyoming’s was the most liberal — allowing for up to 20 bears to be shot in a season.

The Crow Tribe, which opposes grizzly bear hunting, as do many tribes, sued. They prevailed in court.

Hilary Cooley, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service said last week the Biden Administration has yet to take any action on delisting.

Beyond seeking to delist grizzly bears in the NCDE, the petition also asks the FWS to designate the NCDE bears as a distinct population segment. In doing so, the petition also seeks to expand the distinct population segment well into Eastern Montana. This would allow for the delisting of grizzly bears across most of the northern half of the state, Gianforte’s administration said in a release.

Under federal rules, the FWS has 90 days for their initial response to Montana’s petition, the Governor’s Office said.