Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 18
The last time grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem were delisted from the Endangered Species Act was 2017, but a U.S. District Judge relisted the grizzlies to be protected federally six
months later. (Photo by Sean McKinley)
Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. A separate group,
the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC)
formed in 1983, and provides oversight of recovery
goals, management criteria and monitoring protocols
for all states with grizzly bears.
The listing acknowledged the population had
reached a startlingly low level, but stopped short of
calling grizzlies endangered. It also stated there could
be no net gain or loss of grizzly habitat, demarcating
TODAY'S EFFORTS WITH BEARS ARE NO
LONGER CONSIDERED TO BE A BIOLOGICAL
FIGHT, BUT A LEGAL ONE KNOWN BY MANY
IN WYOMING AS THE " MOVING TARGET. "
a range of 9,200 square miles in the GYE. That space
is known as the recovery zone, the core of the bear's
suitable habitat.
On the ground, the work in Wyoming was and
remains aggressive. However, despite exhaustive efforts
by Game and Fish, and more bears than many people
18 | December 2020
imagined could be sustained, the federal government
still classifies them as threatened. Today's efforts with
bears are no longer considered to be a biological fight,
but a legal one known by many in Wyoming as the
" moving target. "
" Despite the never-ending litigation, Wyoming's
wildlife managers and the public committed time and
time again to exceed even the highest bars of recovery
criteria, and in the end the bear nor the state can seem
to win, " said Brian Nesvik, Game and Fish director.
In all, there have been four iterations of the recovery plans and associated recovery criteria, kicking
delisting further down the road.
" Wyoming has met and exceeded each challenge
set before us, " Nesvik said. " The state has met grizzly bear recovery goals two times. But we are now
spending time in the federal courts and still under the
direction of the federal government for bear management because of politics - not science. The courts
are making false biological determinations outside of
the requirements of the law. "
The proof is in the timeline. The first delisting goals
were set in 1982 and defined population recovery
between 229 and 301 bears in the GYE. Ten years
later, bears in the GYE tipped the upper scales at
300, only to have the goal pushed forward with the
USFWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan in 1993.
Delisting finally came in 2007 after 14 years and
another plan revision, and Wyoming assumed management authority for the first time in more than 32
years. However, bears were quickly placed back on
the Endangered Species List in 2009 due to lawsuits
Wyoming Wildlife magazine
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wyoming Wildlife magazine
Cover
From the director
In this issue
A couple pennies
Mailbag
Opening shot
News
Griz on the Go poster
Ask Game and Fish
Grizzly Glossary
Bruin Challenges
Allure of the grizzly
Grizzly Q&A
Wild Country Dispatch
Backpage
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Cover
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - From the director
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - In this issue
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - A couple pennies
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Mailbag
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Opening shot
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 7
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - News
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Griz on the Go poster
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 10
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 11
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Ask Game and Fish
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Grizzly Glossary
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Bruin Challenges
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 15
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 16
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 17
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 18
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 19
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 20
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 21
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 22
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 23
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 24
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 25
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 26
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 27
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Allure of the grizzly
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 29
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 30
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 31
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 32
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 33
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 34
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 35
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Grizzly Q&A
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 37
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 38
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 39
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 40
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 41
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 42
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 43
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 44
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 45
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Wild Country Dispatch
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - 47
Wyoming Wildlife magazine - Backpage
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