Senate Western Caucus Members Applaud Trump DOI Move Returning Management of Grizzly Bears to the West

July 15, 2026

Washington, D.C.-Senate Western Caucus members today applauded the Trump Department of the Interior for proposing new flexibility for western states in managing grizzly bears.

The announcement, made by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum alongside Montana Governor Greg Gianforte, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, Idaho Governor Brad Little, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik, proposes a revised rule to increase management flexibility for grizzly bears in areas where the species has met, and in many cases exceeded, federal recovery benchmarks. The updated proposal ensures the Endangered Species Act is being used as Congress intended while continuing to support the species' long-term conservation.

"For decades, Wyoming and other western states have proven that we know how to conserve and manage grizzly bear populations," said Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis. "Western grizzly bear populations have been recovered for years, yet previous Democrat administrations chose to play politics with delisting instead of following the science. Our ranchers, wildlife managers, and rural communities live alongside these animals every day, and that experience is exactly why they should be the ones making these management calls, not bureaucrats thousands of miles away. I am pleased that President Trump and Secretary Burgum are keeping their commitment to returning power to the states and trusting states to manage what we've already worked to recover."

"It's time for Wyoming - not Washington - to be in charge of managing grizzly bears. The Trump administration is putting power back into the hands of states and local communities who understand the situation and the science the best," said Senator John Barrasso. "The evidence is clear. The grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are thriving and do not need protection under the Endangered Species Act. In Wyoming, we've invested more than $50 million in this effort. We have a strong and proven track record of science-based management and have played a leading role in this successful recovery. I am proud to work with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Director of Fish and Wildlife Services Brian Nesvik to ensure Wyoming can continue to properly manage these bears to a healthy population."

"It's long past time to delist the grizzly bear," said Senator Steve Daines. "I commend Secretary Burgum and his team for recognizing this and taking a good first step in the process by expanding state management of the grizzly."

"Today's proposed rule marks an important step towards returning management of grizzly populations to the state level where it belongs," said Senator Tim Sheehy. "I look forward to working with the Trump Administration going forward to delist the grizzly bear and support the needs of local communities."

"The recovery of the grizzly bear in the West is a conservation success story made possible by decades of work from state, tribal, federal and local conservation partners," said Senator Mike Crapo. "For years, I have advocated for returning grizzly bear management to the states as recovery objectives and benchmarks have been achieved. Secretary Burgum's announcement moves us one step closer to allowing Idaho wildlife professionals to manage a recovered grizzly population in a way that protects both the species and Idaho communities."

"It's abundantly clear Idaho's grizzly bear populations have widely exceeded recovery goals," said Senator Jim Risch. "Increasing state authority to manage grizzly bears ensures our own local wildlife agencies, who understand Idaho's environment best, can follow the science and make commonsense conservation decisions without bureaucratic inefficiencies."

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