The first grizzly bear hunts in decades remain on hold.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen extended a temporary restraining order blocking the hunting of Yellowstone area grizzly bears in Wyoming and Idaho while he mulls restoring federal protections for the large carnivores.
Christensen’s order came a day after hunt opponents requested an extension of the restraining order he granted two weeks ago after a hearing in Missoula. The order was set to expire Thursday. Its expiration could have allowed hunts to go forward in the two states.
The extension will last two weeks. It’s a win for the tribal and conservation groups that sued to restore Endangered Species Act protections for the bears that live in and around the park.
“We are gratified Yellowstone’s beloved bears are once again safe from trophy hunters’ bullets,” said Bethany Cotton, of WildEarth Guardians, in an emailed statement. “We look forward to the judge’s thoughtful resolution of the deep flaws with the feds’ removal of protections from these imperiled bears.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lifted protections last year, arguing that the population of approximately 700 grizzlies is recovered. Following the removal of the protections, wildlife managers in Idaho and Wyoming planned hunting seasons for this fall.
Idaho issued one permit. Its season was to open on Sept. 1. Wyoming’s season would allow the killing of more than 20 bears and was split into two parts — one opening on Sept. 1 and the other opening on Sept. 15.
Opponents of delisting and the hunts argue the bears still face significant threats and should remain protected. They are hoping Christensen will ultimately come out with a decision that returns the bears to the threatened list and prevents hunting from taking place anytime soon.
State and federal officials believe the population is healthy and can survive even with state-managed hunting. They consider the grizzly bear’s recovery a conservation success.
All grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states were listed as threatened in 1975. The Fish and Wildlife Service has six designated recovery zones in the western United States.
The only population that’s recovered as well as Yellowstone’s is the one in and around Glacier National Park. Wildlife officials estimate that about 1,000 grizzlies live there and they’ve started the process of removing protections there.
