The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has until December 28th of this year to decide on delisting grizzlies.
The agency was originally court-ordered to make a decision by the end of January, but last Friday, a federal judge extended that deadline to the end of the year.
Several western states have pushed for bears to be removed from the Endangered Species List. Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have said the bears’ numbers have recovered since listing, and they should be put under state-level management. Wildlife advocacy groups say bears only occupy a small fraction of their historic range. There are also concerns over how hunting could further impact the population recovery.
Grizzlies in the lower 48 will remain listed as threatened until the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service makes its final decision.
