Lummis, Colleagues Slam Fish and Wildlife’s Decision to Keep Grizzlies on the Endangered Species Act

January 8, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and her Senate Western Caucus colleagues released the following statements in response to the Biden administration's announcement keeping the Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Continental Divide grizzly bear on the Endangered Species Act, despite state petitions from Wyoming and Montana.

"The science is clear that the Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear has been recovered for more than 20 years," said Lummis. "Today's decision by the Fish and Wildlife Service is an abuse of the Endangered Species Act. D.C. bureaucrats are once again putting politics ahead of the facts when implementing the law. The state of Wyoming is ready and willing to take over the management of the grizzly bear, and it's past time Washington got out of the way."

"The science is clear: the grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are thriving and do not need protection under the Endangered Species Act," Barrasso said. "Wyoming's good work and sound management practices have proven to be successful. It's time for Wyoming, not Washington, to be in charge of managing the bear."

"Today's announcement is incredibly frustrating for Montana. For decades, Montana has followed the science and as a result, the bear has more than recovered in the Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems," said Daines. "Continuing to move the goalposts on recovery is only harming the bear and putting our Montanan communities at risk. This is a shameful partisan play, and I'll be pushing back every step of the way."

"It is past time for us to delist grizzly bears, but once again, the Biden Administration is ignoring science and the needs of local communities in Montana," said Sheehy. "I look forward to working with the Trump Administration to delist the grizzly bear and return power to the states."

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