Action Alerts

Grizzly bears still need our help

What's At Stake

Grizzly bears need our help. The Trump administration is proposing to hand over management of grizzly bears to states hostile to their existence. This would make it easier for Northern Rockies states to relocate or kill grizzly bears. While grizzly bears will technically keep their Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing for now, the Trump administration’s proposal functions as a backdoor delisting.  

There is a comment period open until August 17th, and we need your voice. Send a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service urging them to keep grizzlies protected. 

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Grizzly bears play a critical role in Northern Rockies ecosystems as a keystone species. They help to regulate prey species, which prevents overgrazing and maintains a balanced ecosystem. They also disperse seeds, often over large distances, promoting plant diversity. Once roaming from the Pacific to the Great Plains, grizzly bears were hunted to near extinction and now occupy only six percent of their historical range.   Losing a keystone species like the grizzly is akin to a home losing its foundation – it is felt throughout the entire ecosystem. 

In announcing the management change, Secretary Burgum and Northern Rockies governors focused on grizzly bear numbers to claim that the species is recovered, but recovery is about more than population size. While federal ESA protections have been essential in fostering the slow recovery of grizzlies, new threats have emerged that could reverse that progress. Even with federal protections, 2025 was the deadliest year for grizzlies to date. Only a handful of those deaths were attributed to natural causes, while 88% were caused by humans.  

Threats to the grizzly bear are only increasing under this administration, including through the proposed recission of the Roadless Rule, which would reduce grizzly bear habitat, and redefinition of what constitutes as ‘harm’ under the Endangered Species Act. Despite these threats, the administration is bowing to political pressure to reduce grizzly protections.  

If this proposal is finalized, the fate of this iconic species would largely be controlled by states in grizzly country — Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming — whose elected officials ignore best-available science in their statewide policies. These states’ desire to take control of grizzly bear management is largely fueled by plans to reduce grizzly bear populations, potentially through trophy hunting of grizzly bears. This is a disaster waiting to happen. 

Here at Earthjustice, we have a long history of defending the grizzly bear, and we need you on our side. If the Trump administration finalizes this lethal proposal, we’ll see them in court.  

Send a letter to the Fish and Wildlife Service today.  

A pair of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park (Todaysfotos / Shutterstock)
A pair of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park. (Todaysfotos / Shutterstock)

21 Days Remain

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