A grizzly bear on the move in Yellowstone National Park.
Removal of Yellowstone Grizzlies From Endangered List Ignites Controversy
While some conservationists are applauding the return of the bears, others worry that the species is not ready to be managed by states that may promote hunting.
To see how far we've come in restoring grizzly bear populations in and around Yellowstone National Park, consider: There are five times more grizzlies now than there were in 1975, when they were first protected under the Endangered Species Act. The area grizzlies roam has increased by half. And conflicts with bears attracted to landowners’ chicken coops now pose a greater threat than hunting.
Thus far, Yellowstone grizzly bear recovery is by most measures a massive American wildlife success story.
As Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced on Thursday that the Trump administration plans to remove Yellowstone's bears from protections afforded by the ESA, state officials around the park offered a resounding "yes." Conservationists almost uniformly answered "no."
The federal government announced
