GILLETTE, Wyo. — Federal wildlife managers have proposed redrawing lines for the geographic areas clarifying where grizzly bears are protected while adding flexibility to streamline resolving human–bear conflicts.
The proposal seeks to revise the Endangered Species Act listing for grizzly bears in the lower 48 states, which has been in place since 1975. It would establish a single distinct population, or DPS, segment encompassing areas in Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Additionally, the proposal would revise its 4(d) rule to give management agencies and landowners greater flexibility and tools to take bears in the context of research and conflict management, per Fish and Wildlife.
“This reclassification will facilitate recovery of grizzly bears and provide a stronger foundation for eventual delisting,” said Martha Williams, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “And the proposed changes to our 4(d) rule will provide management agencies and landowners more tools and flexibility to deal with human/bear conflicts, an essential part of grizzly bear recovery.”
Establishing a single DPS encompassing all six existing grizzly bear recovery zones will provide a comprehensive and scientifically based framework for recovery, per Fish and Wildlife, which says each population is closer to each other than ever and some animals have drifted from one population to another.
“This increased movement of grizzly bears illustrates the success of conservation and management efforts to date while highlighting the importance of maintaining conservation measures and management practices that foster continued movement of bears.
Federal wildlife managers believe maintaining all recovery zones in one DPS will increase the speed of recovery in remaining ecosystems and the overall viability of grizzly bears, increasing the likelihood of successfully delisting the entire DPS by addressing the recovery needs of the species as a whole.
According to Fish and Wildlife, the grizzly bear DPS would retain threatened status under the ESA, but the proposed action would remove ESA protections outside the newly proposed DPS where the species is not found and is not expected to inhabit in the future.
The proposed action is a “first step” toward fulfilling a settlement agreement with Idaho requiring an evaluation of the grizzly bear listing in the lower 48 states by January 2026. The proposal’s announcement went hand in hand with the service’s decision to deny establishing and delisting DPSs for the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems.
Per Fish and Wildlife, the expansion of grizzly bear distribution is attributable to the commitments of state, federal and Tribal agencies who have played a key role in on-the-ground management of the species for the last 40 years. It is also attributable to the sacrifices made by private landowners that accommodate grizzly bears.
Grizzly bear expansion, however, is challenging for local communities and working lands, Fish and Wildlife says. The service is committed to a collaborative approach and helping partner agencies, private landowners and livestock producers by providing additional management tools.
“The proposed 4(d) rule recognizes the need for added flexibility and responsiveness on private lands and areas where grizzly bear populations are impacting private landowners and livestock producers while continuing to promote conservation in areas crucial to the eventual delisting of grizzly bears in the lower 48 as a whole,” Fish and Wildlife says.
A 60-day comment period for the proposed action will appear in the Federal Register on Jan. 15 and remain open through March 17, per Fish and Wildlife. Once the comment period closes, the service will review and address comments before publishing a final rule by January 2026.
