Tell the Feds: Don't Kill Protections for Yellowstone's Grizzlies
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just announced a deadly new proposal to strip Yellowstone National Park's famous grizzly bears of Endangered Species Act protections -- a move that would throw open the door to state-sponsored trophy hunts.
Grizzly bear numbers have improved in Yellowstone since the bears were first protected in 1975, but the bears are still threatened by isolation from other grizzly populations, the effects of drought and climate change, and human-caused mortalities.
Today grizzly bears occupy less than 4 percent of their historic U.S. range.
Isolated from other bear populations, Yellowstone's grizzlies would be at risk of inbreeding if the government did not truck in new bears to add genetic diversity to the population. This highlights the need to recover grizzly bears in more places beyond Yellowstone and to protect existing grizzlies -- not end protections that will lead to bears being gunned down.
Take action -- tell the Service to maintain protections for Yellowstone's beloved grizzlies.
Dear Director Ashe,
I am writing to urge you to maintain Endangered Species Act protections for Yellowstone National Park's famed grizzly bears.
Yellowstone's grizzlies are loved by people around the world who travel to the park to see them. While grizzly populations have improved since they were first protected in 1975, these majestic bears still face threats to their recovery.
Yellowstone's grizzlies are under enough pressure as it is. As you well know, the lack of genetic diversity in this population and their isolation from other grizzly population puts them at risk of inbreeding. Instead of trucking in new bears to avoid that, the Service should focus on recovering grizzly populations in other areas of suitable habitat beyond Yellowstone, and protecting existing grizzlies -- not ending critical protections that will open the door for these beloved bears to be gunned down in state-supported trophy hunts.
[Your comment will be added here.]
Ending protections for grizzlies now is premature and will only increase pressure on a population of bears that is still in recovery. Please maintain federal Endangered Species Act protections for these iconic parts of our wild heritage.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
