How many grizzly bears are alive today in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem?
Between 400 and 600, says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Many more than in the mid 1980s. Enough to soon move forward with taking the Yellowstone grizzly off the list of threatened species by removing the bear’s protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the agency has said. For the lay citizen, it’s difficult to figure out what top bear managers are thinking. A year ago, we were told in the New York Times that the Fish and Wildlife Service planned to begin the process of delisting as early as this summer. But recently, as the science of bear management has come under scrutiny, the national grizzly bear recovery coordinator was quoted in a Colorado newspaper as suggesting he has no immediate plans to delist. Regardless of what is said, there is posturing afoot to declare victory with the Yellowstone grizzly, to remove federal protection, and to let the states assume primary management authority. There are, however, plenty of reputable critics who say delisting the bear isn
