A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service to reexamine how a cattle grazing plan for areas north of Yellowstone National Park could impact grizzly bears.
Missoula judge Kathleen DeSoto last week ruled the agencies must review how grazing on these Forest Service allotments could affect the bears’ ability to safely move across their habitat range. Connectivity between bear populations around Yellowstone and Glacier has been identified as a key component of recovery.
A coalition of environmental groups originally sued over the grazing plan in 2021, arguing grazing in such close proximity to the parks’ bear population could increase conflicts.
