Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, along with the Governors of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, announced Tuesday a proposal to return the federal management of grizzly bears to states.
“Where we stand right now, we're at the heart of the intersection of over 1,000 grizzly bears encompassing habitat in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming,” Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said.
In the wind of Gallatin County, Gianforte said Montana is ready to fully manage grizzly bears.
What that means exactly has not yet been revealed, but Gianforte noted that grizzlies will remain listed as an endangered species in the lower 48, and hunting them will still be off limits.
Frank Szollosi is the executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation. He said he’s worried by Montana’s history of what he calls “anti-carnivore legislation,” and that legislators could run wild if grizzly management is returned to the state.
“We can't have bar-room biology. We can't have politics drive this. There has to be some self-control by elected officials,” Szollsi said.
The rule change will be posted in the Federal Register on July 17, and public comment will be open until August 17.
These proposed actions will be published in the Federal Register on July 17, 2026, according to the DOI. Public comment will be open through August 17, 2026.
