Burgum Shifts Yellowstone Grizzly Management to 3 States, Leaving Threatened Status Unclear
Updated
Updated · NPR · Jul 15
Burgum Shifts Yellowstone Grizzly Management to 3 States, Leaving Threatened Status Unclear
3 articles · Updated · NPR · Jul 15
Summary
Doug Burgum said management of threatened grizzly bears in the states surrounding Yellowstone National Park will move to state governments, marking a federal policy shift with unclear practical effect.
The announcement left unresolved whether the bears' threatened status under federal protections would change or how state authority would work alongside existing national park and wildlife rules.
Yellowstone spans parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, making those 3 states central to any handover of grizzly oversight.
The move adds uncertainty to long-running disputes over who should control grizzly populations around Yellowstone and how conservation goals would be balanced with state wildlife management.