Lummis Urges Fish and Wildlife Director to Work Quickly to Delist GYE Grizzly

During a recent Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) pushed for a status update on Wyoming’s petition to delist the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Grizzly Bear. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

During the hearing, Senator Lummis pointed out that the Fish and Wildlife Service is now four months overdue on the 12-month review of Wyoming’s delisting petition for the Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bear. Lummis urged Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams to work quickly to delist the grizzly.

In 1975, there were 136 grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. In 2022, experts estimated that nearly 1,000 bears were living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, evidence of an effective conservation effort. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team’s analysis suggests that Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding area is at or near its ecological carrying capacity for grizzly bears.

Senator Lummis also sought answers regarding the Biden administration’s efforts to change the definition of “habitat” for the purposes of designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. This action would cause uncertainty for private landowners in Wyoming and cause harm to species recovery. The Senate voted on and passed a Congressional Review Act Resolution introduced by Lummis to disapprove of the FWS rule changing the definition of habitat. It will now be voted on by the House of Representatives where it is expected to pass.