Grizzly Bear Mortalities in Greater Yellowstone Reach Record Levels for Third Year in a Row

Grizzly bear mortalities in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have reached record levels for the third year in a row, with over 80 bears already dead, with two months remaining in the year. Conservation groups today sounded the alarm over the increased bear deaths, at least 50 of which were human-caused, with another 15 under investigation. The groups urged the Trump administration to avoid doing even more harm by finalizing a 4(d) management rule that would allow for more bear killing or delisting the species, which is currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

In July, the Trump administration proposed a revised 4(d) rule that would hand over greater management of the species to hostile Northern Rockies states. While bears would temporarily retain their Endangered Species Act listing, the rule would function as a backdoor delisting without the prerequisite findings that federal protections are no longer required to sustain the species. The revised 4(d) proposal is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

Since announcing the 4(d) proposal, the Trump administration has also openly stated that it intends to immediately push on delisting after the rule is finalized. An Interior Department official noted that the 4(d) rule would act as a safety net if delisting fails in an expected court challenge. Several conservation groups have stated they plan to challenge to maintain protections for the grizzly bear, particularly in light of these new and emerging threats.

“It is incredibly alarming that the administration is seeking new ways to harm or kill grizzly bears as the species faces three years of record mortality,” said Jenny Harbine, managing attorney for Earthjustice’s Northern Rockies Office. “This is the absolute worst time to be caving to political pressure from Northern Rockies states that will do even more harm to the species if they take the reins. The Trump administration has already taken numerous actions that will further impair grizzly recovery, including rescinding the Roadless Rule and eliminating habitat protections under the ESA. Further eroding safeguards for bears would be incredibly shortsighted.”

“Record high grizzly deaths show bears need more protection, not less, as they continue expanding their range and attempt to reoccupy the places they once freely roamed,” said Adam Rissien, rewilding manager with WildEarth Guardians. “It is no surprise conflicts are increasing and more grizzlies are getting killed. Bears are having to search for more food in more places because of shorter winters, more severe summer heat and drought, and a steep drop in whitebark pine nuts that they’ve historically relied on for a substantial portion of their fall diet.”

“With this many deaths occurring year after year, it’s obvious that we still have a long way to go before we can say we are doing a good job of properly coexisting with grizzly bears,” said Kristin Combs, executive director for Wyoming Wildlife Advocates. “Much more needs to be done to reduce human-caused conflicts. It’s no secret that Wyoming intends to allow more grizzlies to be killed so removing protections would add more deaths to an already beleaguered population. Because grizzlies are so slow to reproduce, this could undo decades of recovery work.”

“Dead grizzlies are the predictable price of putting more cattle in grizzly country,” said Patrick Kelly, Montana Director for Western Watersheds Project. “Livestock conflict has killed more Greater Yellowstone grizzlies this year than any other cause, yet the Trump administration is pushing national forests across the region to restock vacant grazing allotments, and several already have. Now the same administration wants to finalize a 4(d) rule handing grizzly management to states that have made clear they want fewer bears. That’s not recovery. It’s a plan for more dead grizzlies.”

“The dismayingly high number of grizzly bear deaths points out the need to better protect grizzlies in the Lower 48,” said Kevin Proescholdt, conservation director for Wilderness Watch. “Among the measures that would provide a lifeline to threatened grizzly bears is designating more Wilderness in prime grizzly habitat in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We should also work to eliminate livestock grazing permits in prime grizzly bear habitat like the Upper Green River in Wyoming, which includes the Bridger Wilderness. If grizzly bears can’t be safe from persecution in Wilderness areas, no public lands are safe for grizzly bears.”

“The alarming number of grizzly deaths in recent years shows the devastating toll of the Trump administration’s dismantling of land conservation measures throughout the Northern Rockies,” said Nick Gevock, Sierra Club Northern Rockies campaign strategist. “More motorized use and logging, along with putting livestock onto lands that were specifically closed to alleviate conflicts with grizzlies, has only led to more deaths. It further proves that with hostile states eager to drive the grizzly population down, now is no time to remove federal protections for this iconic species.”