Grizzly Comeback Recognized by U.S. Authorities

Over the last thirty years, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has placed a high priority on the recovery of grizzly bears. Now, with grizzly population levels in the Yellowstone area up from a low of around 250 to over 600, FWS is proposing to remove them from the endangered species list.

Needless to say, the proposal was immediately attacked by some environmentalist organizations but the recovery of the grizzly provides an interesting case study in species management. The North American grizzly population once stood at around 50,000 but declined rapidly as humans migrated to the west coast. Four other grizzly populations have not yet recovered and will continue to be listed as a threatened species.

U.S. Interior Secretary Gale Norton said, “Thanks to the work of many partners, more than 600 grizzlies now inhabit the Yellowstone ecosystem and the population is no longer threatened. With a comprehensive conservation strategy ready to be put into place upon delisting, we are confident that the future of the grizzly bear in Yellowstone is bright. Our grandchildren’s grandchildren will see grizzly bears roaming in Yellowstone.”

Habitat issues are central to the Conservation Strategy and the population of Yellowstone grizzly bears will not be allowed to decline even when limited hunting is allowed to resume. The situation has changed dramatically from 1975 when the animals faced continued loss of habitat and high mortality from conflict with humans. Since the 1990s, the Yellowstone grizzly population has grown at between four and seven per cent per year.

Of course, this won’t stop protests from those who have ideological aversions to hunting and delistings, but the U.S. Administration is demonstrating that it is prepared to make scientifically justified decisions even if they risk being taken out of context in the media. The recovery of the Yellowstone grizzly, famously hunted one hundred years ago by America’s President Theodore Roosevelt, is a welcome development and the proposal to delist is backed by extensive research and an adaptive management framework.

In its submission to FWS, IWMC commends the agency for its work on grizzly bears and proposes that the reasons for the successful recovery be properly evaluated so that lessons can be (learned) and applied to other conservation programs.

IWMC also suggests that the costs of the grizzly conservation program should be published so that poorer nations can determine if they can afford to follow a similar path. The suspicion, however, is that the program would be too costly for most nations to emulate. Finally, IWMC has recommended that income from hunting licenses be recycled and used to compensate local ranchers who lose livestock from bear attacks.