BOZEMAN — Doug Burgum, the secretary of the interior, was joined by the governors of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming and announced yesterday an updated management proposal to "increase on-the-ground conservation" in areas where the species has met federal recovery benchmarks.
The proposal would mean that management of grizzly bears will now be handled by the states.
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This news triggered social media comments about hunting grizzly bears. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte says this rule does not allow states to hold hunting seasons for grizzly bears.
Part of the reason for that is this rule also does not remove grizzly bears from Endangered Species protections they have had since 1975. The rule, called 4(d), instead looks at new ways to manage bears in areas that are challenging for landowners and livestock holders. Wildearth Guardians attorney Libby Pennock tells MTN‘s Chet Layman that simply means more grizzly bears will be killed.
Everyone agrees there are about 2,000 Grizzly Bears in the lower 48. What they can’t agree on is what constitutes a recovered population. The governors say that’s the number, while conservation groups like WildEarth Guardians point to historic populations, habitat loss, and the 50 years needed to reach that number.
The Federal government will also still be involved in Grizzly management. With a large population of grizzlies in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, Burgum says management will now be a partnership between the states and the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
The 4(d) Rule was proposed back in January of 2025, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service held a 30-day comment period on the rule at that time. Officials say because this is a change to that version of 4(d), a new 30-day comment period is now open.
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