Don't mess with Yellowstone's grizzlies: Bears are back on endangered list
Shooting grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park is no longer allowed. Period. A U.S. District Court ruling has required the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service to put the iconic animal back on the Endangered Species Act protected list. The decision earlier this week is a huge victory for environmentalists who had long contended the grizzly was prematurely removed from the list and still faced extinction. While grizzlies were off the list, 37 were shot by people in 2008, the highest shooting mortality rate in decades. Hunting grizzlies is illegal even if they are not endangered. But wildlife advocates believe the removal of the Yellowstone grizzlies more than two years ago encouraged shootings. They also say the lack of endangered species protection resulted in diminished punishments against violators who claimed they shot bears in self defense, including, in some cases, small cubs.
The grizzly bear has long been an embattled symbol for both environmentalists and conservatives. Environmentalists were appalled when the Fish and Wildlife Service removed Yellowstone grizzlies from the list in April 2007, one of many moves by the Bush Administration that upset the environmental community. The government argued that the bears were no longer in danger and should not be on the list. Outraged environmentalists, led by the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, filed suit to have that move reversed.
Their reason for the lawsuit was belief that the bears had not recovered in sufficient numbers. The coalition contended that the removal was incredibly hasty and dangerous to the long-term survival of the bears. When the grizzlies were removed from the list, only 500 or so remained in Yellowstone. That was triple the number of bears during the population's nadir but far from what many wildlife experts considered to be a healthy population for such a huge swath of land.
On Monday, U.S. Court District Judge Donald Molloy validated the environmentalists objections and ordered Fish and Wildlife to put the bear back under endangered species protections, according to Switchboard, the blog of the National Resources Defense Council. In that ruling, the judge found that Fish and Wildlife violated the Endangered Species Act and scolded the service for failing to put in place rules to protect grizzlies after their removal from the list.
He also cited the agency's failure to take into account the loss of whitebark pine seeds, they key food source of fall food for Yellowstone grizzlies. Whitebark pines have suffered a massive die-off in Yellowstone as warm winters have dramatically increased populations of pine beetles, a pest that gnaws on the whitebarks until the trees die. The warm winters have also allowed the beetles to move to higher elevations where previously pines had thrived and grizzlies had noshed on more abundant seeds.
The grizzlies also suffered at the hands of hunters in the past two years, as well. In 2008, 54 grizzly bears died, including 37 shot by humans -- the highest mortality rate ever recorded. The only other time in recent history that so many bears have died was 40 years ago when Yellowstone National Park closed its garbage dumps and the bears waltzed into villages and camping sites in search of food. The bear was first listed as endangered in 1975 after its population began to decline steeply in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
This suit is the first of several relating to grizzlies. The National Resources Defense Council and Earthjustice, among other organizations, also filed suit in cases that are still pending in Idaho. All the cases will likely be impacted by the Molloy Decision, which could set a significant precedent for bear rulings. Environmentalists say the bear populations still may not recover but at least they won't be shot by humans anymore.
Welcome back, Mr. Bear. We're glad you're safe and sound again.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
9-22-2009 @ 8:47PM
S said...
I thought bulls were endangered.
Reply
9-22-2009 @ 10:29PM
jan sterling said...
now please put the grey wolf back on the endangered species list also - before they are all killed in idaho area
Reply
9-23-2009 @ 12:06AM
john said...
yes save the wolves maybe then maybe the lions, bears, and wolves can eat all you self righteous tree huggers
9-23-2009 @ 3:51AM
Shannon said...
John, you do realize that the preditors, ie, bears, wolves, coyotes, cougars, and other large preditorial animals serve a purpose right? They keep down, herbavore populations, we often hear about the cattle and other herd animals lost to big predators, but crop loss due to deer, rodents, and other animals is significant in areas of agriculture where the apex preditors have been reduced in number or have been eliminated completely. Sure, hunters can take care of the deer, I'm actually pro-hunting as long as it's a sustainable population. Last time I checked however, there weren't any gopher, rabbit, rat, field mice and other vermin hunters around. Yes rabbit is hunted, but humans cannot control their population as they are prolific populators. The predators aren't picky about what they eat, and love the small critters.
9-22-2009 @ 10:30PM
kbhret said...
TAKING THEM OFF THE LIST IN 2007 WAS ABSURD AND TYPICAL OF A REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE.
NOW WE HAVE TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE STUPID CHINESE WHO THINK BEAR GALL BLADDERS MAKE THEM BETTER LOVERS.... THAT AND BAD WINGS. CHINA'S MISSION IS TO WIIPEOUT EVERY LAST SHARK ON THE PLANET AND SKIN ALIVE ANY ANIMAL THAT GROWS FUR.
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9-22-2009 @ 11:00PM
dale said...
everybody needs a bear skin rug . who really gives a crap but the butt ugly tree huggers ? ( ever notice all these damn tree huggers and do gooders are ugly as hell and couldnt hold a real job if thier lives depended on it ?? )
Reply
9-22-2009 @ 11:23PM
anna said...
your a douche
9-23-2009 @ 12:58AM
freyj said...
Hey Dale fyi: YOU are the ugly one I am sure. Any person that acts the way you do is an ugly miserable redneck. It truly is a shame that you were ever brought into this world but oh I'm sure your parents (if you have any) are realllly proud of you! lol oh and another thing... I am a tree hugger and I can guarantee I look better than you if you want proof email me (Kpaxgal). get a life you loser... actually you should drop dead it would be nice if ppl like you disappeared and believe me you wouldn't be missed.
9-22-2009 @ 11:14PM
Harry said...
Hey Dale your a ass
Reply
9-22-2009 @ 11:30PM
shane said...
I happen to have a surplus of Yellowstone Grizzly bear skin rugs available for sale. I agree with Dale that everyone should have one and am making it my personal mission in life to deliver one to every family room in the country. Screw the damn bears, I need my feet to be warm when I'm stuffing all my bald eagle decorative trophies.
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9-23-2009 @ 12:46AM
freyj said...
Get a life loser no one cares about rednecks like you so drop dead... no one will even remember or give a crap about your insignificant existence.
9-22-2009 @ 11:36PM
hotcoffe said...
shooting a cub is like shooting a baby deer... all animals depend on mom or dad to survive , when you kill the parent the kids most likely unless captured and put some where safe wont live long .
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9-22-2009 @ 11:34PM
Warren O'Leary said...
Much more importantly; where is the concern of racial, ethnic, religious, hence , cultural extinction of Original-Americans ( The White Euro-Christian ) , the founding culture of America, by the treasonous 1965 Immigration and Reform Act by the demo-rat-ic communists ?
Reply
9-22-2009 @ 11:36PM
Frank said...
In my eyes, hunting for a food animal like a deer is fine. No different than buying a burger. Hunting a predator (bear, lion etc) for nothing but an ego trip is disgusting.
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9-22-2009 @ 11:59PM
Sage said...
I just despise creatures that prey on emotional stimulation as a
tool. They are saying "but we are bears and only bears etc. we want
to live." Then it takes three of your friends heads off. Emotion is
a predators tool just like in humans. I don't care to kill or not kill them, l'd just rather not feel those feelings.
Reply
9-23-2009 @ 12:02AM
De'Anna West said...
And......now that they have delisted the wolves without accurate counts, now the public will think it's a free license to shoot a wolf whenever they see one. They won't go get a license to kill it, they will just shoot....shrug thier shoulders and say "so what." Do I believe that they might need culled at some point? Yes, but they should send professional bounty hunters out when the furs are at a prime as well. Don't waste what you kill. That sucks. Killing just for killing....that isn't good management.
Reply
9-23-2009 @ 12:24AM
turner1978 said...
Send professional bounty hunters at tax payers expense? Do you have any idea what bounty hunters charge? it's WAY more than you would imagine! Especially when the hunting comunity will not only do it for free, but they will even pay for it by buying tags. THINK!
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9-23-2009 @ 12:57AM
freyj said...
Shane, you get an award for being #1 redneck loser lol
Reply
9-23-2009 @ 12:52AM
Patrick said...
The first statement in this story says it all, Shooting Grizzly Bears in Yellowstone National Park is no longer allowed.......It was never allowed. The Bears have increased there Range because of larger numbers of Bears. Every year Hunters and none Hunters are attacked by Bears Mauled and killed some shoot in self defense.........The story is all B.S.............
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9-23-2009 @ 1:07AM
AnimalAdvocate said...
THIS PLANET IS FACING EXTINCTION.
ANY HUNTING SHOULD BE ILLEGAL.
PERIOD.
HUMANS KILLED AND MADE EXTINCT WAY TOO MANY TO BE EVER RESURRECTED ON THE SURFACE EVER AGAIN.
SAVE THIS PLANET.
BEFORE ITS TOO LATE
SO THAT WE WONT BE LEFT WITH ONLY IMAGES OF WHAT THIS PLANET LOOKED LIKE ,,,,,,,,BEFORE HUMANS DESTROYED IT.
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