A judge has decided that a grizzly bear hunt in Wyoming and Idaho must be delayed for another two weeks. Thursday, September 13 was the last day of a temporary restraining order filed by a conservation group two weeks ago. The grizzly bear hunt that was supposed to start on September 1 was stalled in hopes a federal district court judge would make a decision whether to restore federal protections to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear.
Cody Wisniewski, a Mountain States Legal Foundation attorney representing Wyoming farmers and ranchers, said it’s disappointing the emergency temporary restraining orders are being filed immediately before the hunt is supposed to start rather than a couple of days before.
“These are being filed immediately before deadlines and then the court is responding so quickly without giving other parties [the chance] to weigh in,” he said.
He said he would hope the court would want to hear all of the arguments before granting a temporary restraining order and that he’s disappointed that the judge isn’t allowing the state to manage the bears based on science and public comment.
“The federal government did the right thing here and delisted the bear because it was recovered and is attempting to return the management to the states and these TRO’s [temporary restraining orders] are stopping that.”
But Wisniewski said it is reassuring that the judge is taking his time making a decision. The new restraining order will be lifted on September 27. Wyoming’s planned hunt was set to end November 15.
