Harriet Hageman Slams Biden Administration’s Refusal To Delist Grizzly

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) declined petitions from Wyoming and Montana to delist grizzly bears as endangered despite the animals’ population boom becoming a threat for ranchers.

The agency delivered the ruling Wednesday, frustrating House Republicans who’ve urged the Biden administration to eliminate protections on the bears which have more than doubled their recovery goals for delisting.

“The USFWS’s refusal to delist the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear is just the latest example of the agency’s utter failure to follow the intent and purpose of the [Endangered Species Act],” Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., told The Federalist.

Hageman was an original sponsor of legislation to delist the bears as endangered in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, where grizzlies have multiplied and tripled their range.

“The [Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem] grizzly population has exceeded recovery goals for over 2 decades (by over 100%), yet here we are,” Hageman told The Federalist. “This proves what we have been saying for so long: the [Endangered Species Act] has little to do with recovering and protecting endangered species, and everything to do with land use control and limiting access to and use of our natural resources.”

Hageman’s bill passed the House Natural Resources Committee but did not receive a vote by the full chamber.

“The only reasonable announcement by the USFWS today would have been a total delisting of the grizzly bear in these ecosystems,” said Bruce Westerman, an Arkansas Republican who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, according to The Hill. “USFWS is blatantly ignoring science in their decision by hiding behind bureaucratic red tape.”

“Their decision endangers communities, especially farmers and ranchers, who live under the threat of grizzly bear attacks.

Grizzly bears have been listed as a federally endangered species since 1975. The slow-reproducing bears, however, have recovered beyond their population goals outlined by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The bears are now going well beyond the six designated ecosystems where their populations were destined to thrive, including Greater Yellowstone, Northern Continental Divide, Cabinet-Yaak, Bitterroot, Selkirk, and the North Cascades.

The agency declined to remove grizzlies from the endangered species list but proposed new rules to allow private landowners to kill any bears threatening livestock.

“This reclassification will facilitate recovery of grizzly bears and provide a stronger foundation for eventual delisting,” USFWS Director Martha Williams said in a press release, adding proposed changes “will provide management agencies and landowners more tools and flexibility to deal with human/bear conflicts, an essential part of grizzly bear recovery.”

Tristan Justice is a national correspondent for The Federalist and the co-author of “Fat and Unhappy: How ‘Body Positivity’ Is Killing Us (and How to Save Yourself).” He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan’s email newsletter here. Buy “Fat and Unhappy” here.