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Natural resources

Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman's Grizzly Bear State Management Act Aims to Protect Species, Provide Regulatory Relief

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman's (R-WY) H.R. 281, the Grizzly Bear State Management Act of 2025, is set to be considered by the House Natural Resources Committee. This bill would remove grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) from the list of threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), directing the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a 2017 final rule that delisted the bear. If passed, this legislation would provide regulatory relief to property owners, reward those who contributed to the ESA's success story, and ensure that the decision to delist the bears won't be overturned by a court.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Grizzly Bear State Management Act (H.R. 281) aims to remove grizzly bears in the GYE from the list of threatened species under the ESA.
  • The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to reissue a 2017 final rule that delisted the bear, which would provide regulatory relief to property owners.
  • Grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states have been listed as threatened for half a century, receiving federal protection to continue growing their populations.
  • The grizzlies in the GYE have surpassed their recovery goals for many years, with a population increase of nearly eightfold from 136 to 1,030 in 2023.
  • The GYE grizzlies have been delisted twice before, in 2007 and 2017, but both times the decisions were overturned in court.
  • States where the bears are located have been putting up millions of their own dollars to help the bears recover, with the hope of permanent delisting and regulatory burdens being lifted.
  • Passing Rep. Hageman's bill would provide a permanent solution, protecting property owners and the species.

Statistics:

  • Grizzly bears in the GYE have increased in population by nearly eightfold, from 136 to 1,030 in 2023.
  • The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has invested significant resources into the GYE grizzlies, which have already achieved recovery goals.
  • States have invested millions of their own dollars to help the bears recover.

Sources:

  • Office of Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman, "Grizzly Bear State Management Act of 2025" - releases statement on the bill.
  • Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), cited in the office of Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman's statement.

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