Protect Greater Yellowstone's Grizzly Bear

Rep. Haaland,

We, the undersigned, congratulate you on your ground-breaking nomination as Secretary of the Interior. 

In one of your first actions, we request you consider grizzly bears when deciding upon the appointment of the new director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For decades, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has attempted to delist grizzly bears, despite the species still being in peril in the Lower 48. In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the species still faces significant threats from genetic isolation; habitat degradation, in the form of invasive species and climate change; and human conflict; as a result, grizzly mortalities have reached record numbers in recent years. The same is true for the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. Other recovery areas do not have a sustainable population, either.

We want to thank you for being a leader on grizzly bears, including sponsoring the Tribal Heritage and Grizzly Bear Protection Act, which bans trophy hunting and requires federal consultation with tribes before any major federal actions.

The tribes have led the protection of grizzly bears, including in their recent lawsuit to overturn the Fish and Wildlife Service's 2016 attempt to delist grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. 

We are confident you will continue this leadership and thank you for consideration.