Governor Gordon Remains Committed to Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Delisting

January 8, 2025

CONTACT: Michael Pearlman, Communications Director

Michael.Pearlman@wyo.gov

 

Governor Gordon Remains Committed to Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Grizzly Bear Delisting 

USFWS retain bears under ESA, eliminates GYE population segment

 

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Gordon issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to retain the grizzly bear on the endangered species list and to eliminate the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) distinct population segment (DPS). A court ordered the Service to issue a decision by Jan. 20, 2025.

“It has always been clear the Biden administration had no intention of delisting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear. This latest move to keep a fully-recovered population on the Endangered Species List and eliminate the DPS confirms this decision is driven by politics and not biology. The GYE grizzly bear has been delisted twice. Population determinations should not be made whimsically; lower-48 management approach is not scientifically based. I remain committed to working on delisting grizzly bears in Wyoming and will consider multiple avenues to do so.

Our state wildlife managers are foremost experts on this bruin – they should be at the helm of decision making that impacts the daily lives of people in Wyoming who live and work in grizzly bear country. The authority to fully manage wildlife is within the state’s purview.

I look forward to working with the Trump Administration, Interior Secretary nominee Doug Burgum, and Congressional leaders on delisting the GYE grizzly as well as on reforming the broken Endangered Species Act, which has lost its focus on species recovery and returning wildlife to state management.”

-END-