The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation submitted additional comments concerning the delisting of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear. The public comment period was reopened with a deadline of Oct. 7, to provide the public with the opportunity to comment on newly released information. The Alliance reiterated support of delisting grizzly bears from the protections of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and shifting management to the states of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.
When filing these additional comments, the Alliance agreed with the peer-reviewed findings that the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear no longer meets the definition of endangered and has recovered to the point that delisting is overdue. Population numbers have far surpassed stated recovery goal numbers during consecutive years, and should be removed from the ESA.
Peer-reviewed reports also state that discretionary mortality, including hunting, will be well-managed under the proposed plan and poses no threat to the long-term viability of the grizzly population.
Additionally, the Alliance points to the management plan’s incentives to discourage over-harvesting of grizzlies and the ability for cooperating agencies to provide current and easy-to-access information on seasons, harvest quotas and potential closures.
The Alliance also believes management of grizzly bear populations should remain in state control, as it does with almost every other non-endangered animal.
“The Sportsmen’s Alliance wholeheartedly supports the delisting of this distinct population of grizzly bears and believes the states should continue to manage the populations going forward,” said Evan Heusinkveld, president and CEO of the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “State wildlife agencies are well-suited to take over the management. Our system of wildlife management is set up to rely on these experts and not radical anti-hunting organizations when making wildlife policy.”
Comments must be submitted by 11:59 EST on Oct. 7
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.