BOISE, Idaho-
Federal officials say a plan to delist grizzly bears as a threatened species in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem is advancing, and that recent information shows the population is holding steady or possibly increasing.
Sightings of female grizzly bears with cubs increased from 31 in 2005 to 47 in 2006, giving an indication that the bear population in and around Yellowstone National Park is staying about the same or growing.
Officials said the bear population in the region has grown by about 4 percent to 7 percent a year, increasing from about 200 in the early 1980s to about 600 today.
“The delisting process is still on track,” Chris Servheen, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service grizzly bear recovery coordinator in Missoula, Mont., told the Idaho Statesman. He said a decision on delisting is expected this spring.
Former Interior Secretary Gale Norton last year proposed removing the bears’ protected status under the Endangered Species Act in the region that includes eastern Idaho.
If delisted, Idaho officials will more easily be able to kill problem bears, and a hunting season could be opened.
Biologists have counted an average of 43 females with cubs the last six years.
“These sightings normally vary from year to year, so the increase in 2006 doesn’t mean a huge increase in the numbers of bears in one year,” said Chuck Schwartz, leader of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team.
Minette Johnson with Defenders of Wildlife said that group does not support delisting.
She said that changes the Bush administration made in how national forests–including the grizzly bear recovery area–are managed could cause the bear population to decline because of reduced habitat protection.
“The national forests are really crucial to the recovery of grizzly bears in the region,” Johnson told The Associated Press on Monday. “Grizzly bears are really susceptible to human-caused mortality.”
Servheen said federal agencies would work to make sure bear populations don’t decline if delisted.
“Many people just do not trust that the agencies will do what they have agreed to do once the bear is delisted,” said Servheen. “Our job is to assure the public and to build public trust.”
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Information from: The Idaho Statesman,
