U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Tuesday in Montana a proposal to shift management of grizzly bears to states where federal recovery benchmarks have been met.
Grizzly bears have been listed on the federal endangered species list in the lower 48 states since 1975 in an effort to preserve their population. Tuesday's announcement is not a full federal delisting but would instead allow each state to develop its own plan, working in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Burgum made the announcement flanked by Gov. Greg Gianforte of Montana, Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming and Gov. Brad Little of Idaho, all fellow Republicans. The announcement was made on the edge of the Gallatin Wildlife Management area, home to frequent grizzly bear activity.
Gianforte praised the announcement, saying that Montana knows best how to manage its grizzly bear population to recovery.
"Montana grizzly bears are now Montana's bear," he said.
The fight over grizzly-bear delisting dates back to 2017, when the first Trump administration sought to remove endangered protections in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which includes Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. In response, Wyoming leaders pushed forward with the state's first grizzly bear hunt in 40 years in 2019. Conservationists sued, and the hunt and delisting were blocked.
In 2025, Western lawmakers began pushing legislation in the U.S. House that would achieve a similar outcome.
Burgum's proposal, called a 4(d) revision, does not include hunting, but each state can start forming their own management plan.
Read Burgum's full release here.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
- Reporting by Chet Layman/ MTN News
