The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service extended the public comment period for the Services proposal to remove the Yellowstone population of grizzly bears from the list of threatened and endangered wildlife as it no longer needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act. Robust population growth, coupled with State and Federal cooperation to manage mortality and habitat, widespread public support for grizzly bear recovery, and the development of adequate regulatory mechanisms has brought about recovery for the grizzly bears in this area, necessitating a change in its status.
Four other grizzly populations in the lower 48 states have not yet recovered and will continue to be protected as threatened species under the Act.
Public comments are encouraged and will be accepted until close of business on March 20, 2006. Written comments may be sent to the Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, University Hall 309, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812. Comments may also be hand delivered to the same office. Comments may be sent by electronic mail (e-mail) to FW6_grizzly_yellowstone@fws.gov.
As part of the Services proposal, a distinct population segment of grizzlies in the greater Yellowstone area is to be established. Biologists believe the Yellowstone area grizzly population and other remaining grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 states and Canada are markedly separate from each other, with no evidence of interaction with other populations. The core of the proposed Yellowstone distinct population segment is the Yellowstone Recovery Zone, which is approximately 9,200 square miles. It includes Yellowstone National Park; a portion of Grand Teton National Park; John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway; sizable contiguous portions of the Shoshone, Bridger-Teton, Targhee, Gallatin, Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Custer National Forests; BLM lands; and surrounding State and private lands.
Since the mid 1990s, the Yellowstone population has grown at a rate of 4 percent to 7 percent per year. More than 600 grizzlies now inhabit the Yellowstone ecosystem. Grizzlies have occupied 48 percent more habitat since they were listed, and biologists have sighted bears more than 60 miles from what was once thought to be the outer limits of their range.
The recovery of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem is the result of intensive scientific research, state and federal cooperation to manage habitat and limit mortality, and the implementation of regulatory protections over more than three decades.
Grizzly bears are long-lived mammals and generally live to be around 25 years old. They are generally larger and more heavily built than other bears. They can be distinguished from black bears by longer, curved claws, humped shoulders and a face that appears to be concave.
