Story at a glance
- Montana wildlife officials are moving forward with plans to allow the hunting of grizzly bears surrounding Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.
- Grizzly bears in the area have been a protected species since 1975.
- About 50,000 grizzly bears once roamed the lower 48 states before hunting, trapping and loss of habitat decimated the population, with only about 1,000 remaining by 1975.
Montana wildlife officials are moving forward with plans to allow the hunting of grizzly bears surrounding Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, it was announced Tuesday.
Grizzly bears in the area have been a protected species since 1975. However, on Dec. 6, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) announced he was petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove grizzly bears from its protected species list.
“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 news release.
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“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,” Gianforte said.
On Tuesday, Montana commissioners signed off on a preliminary approval to maintain the grizzly population of more than 800 bears in the Glacier-area, which would allow for the hunting of the bears if federal protections are removed, The Associated Press reported.
According to Montana Public Radio, about 50,000 grizzly bears once roamed the Lower 48 states before hunting, trapping and loss of habitat decimated the population. When grizzly bears were given protected status in 1975, only about 1,000 remained.
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