grizzly bears

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department commission voted against requiring hunters to carry bear spray in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE).

This time of year in bear country you're more likely to see the animal along the sides of the roads looking for the first shoots of grass. That's a hazard for the bear and for visitors, and wildlife managers resorting to what they call hazing.

The federal government is officially pursuing an appeal on a judge's decision to put the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear back under Endangered Species Act protections.

The grizzly bear is an iconic species to many Native American tribes, and now a bill introduced in Congress would require tribes be included in their management. The legislation, called the Tribal Heritage and Grizzly Bear Protection Act, was introduced by Raul Grijalva, the chair of the Natural Resources subcommittee. 

A coalition of environmental groups signed a petition that would require Idaho and Wyoming hunters to carry bear spray. But some think protocol and education is more effective.

The U.S. has long solved environmental issues through conflict and regulation, but a former federal agriculture official said it's time for a paradigm shift that solves them through consensus. Former U.S. Agriculture Department Under Secretary Robert Bonnie will address that issue at the University of Wyoming on Thursday.

"Can We Bear the Bias?" is the name of an event trying to break down the barriers of the Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bear discussion. The event brings grizzly experts from Wyoming, Montana and the federal government to have a frank conversation with the public on the current and future status of the grizzly.

Environmental groups filed a notice to sue the state of Wyoming. This comes after Governor Mark Gordon signed a bill that allows the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to authorize a grizzly bear hunt in the state.

A group of environmental groups are calling the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team to improve conflict reduction measures. The team is a group of independent scientists assigned by the Department of Interior to study grizzly bears.

A new report released by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department shows a record high number of Yellowstone area grizzlies were captured and then euthanized last year. 53 grizzlies were captured and 32 were put down.

A week after the state of Wyoming filed a notice of appeal a judge's decision to put the Yellowstone grizzly bear back on Endangered Species Act protections, other defendants have followed.

Wyoming plans to appeal a U.S. District Court Judge's decision from September to put the Yellowstone grizzly bear back on endangered species act protections.

A pair of conservation groups recently purchased land in northwest Montana hoping to help secure a corridor for grizzly bears to travel between two isolated ecosystems: the Cabinet-Yaak in Montana and Selkirk on the border of Idaho and Washington. This comes after a couple of recent sightings of grizzly bears moving on the periphery of both areas.

Since the last week of September when the grizzly bear returned to the federal threatened species list, there have been 15 grizzly mortalities. But are these numbers especially high?

It's been a week since Wyoming lost management authority of the Yellowstone grizzly bear. This at a time when grizzly activity is increasing.

Native American tribes are celebrating the decision by a U.S. district court judge to re-list the Yellowstone grizzly bear as threatened. Numerous tribes sued the federal government to stop the de-listing and over 200 U.S. and Canadian tribes signed a grizzly bear treaty to protect the species. Blackfeet member Tom Rodgers is an advisor for the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders. He said efforts to protect the grizzly galvanized tribes around the world.

On Wednesday, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This comes right after a court ruling on Monday that returned federal protections back to the Yellowstone grizzly bear. Republicans have long been pushing for the modernization of the ESA, including Wyoming's U.S. Senator John Barrasso.

Monday afternoon a federal district court judge placed the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear back under federal protection. This means Wyoming’s planned grizzly hunt will not happen and management will be returned to the federal government.