Recovery of the grizzly bear at the intersection of law and science

Over the last 30 years, there have been numerous legal battles over recovery of grizzly bear. These brought to fore a question central implementation Act, namely is goal merely remediate extinction risk or affect broader ecosystem recovery. I systematically reviewed court decisions related bear’s plan, efforts remove protections for bears, and challenges logging, mining other projects with impacts bears. A challenge 1993 plan forced Service develop habitat-based criteria Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Legal reopen expand into additional areas historic range, however, were unsuccessful, leaving scope largely at discretion U.S. Fish Wildlife Service. Lawsuits by multiple conservation groups, tribes individuals constrained this discretion, twice stopping agency from stripping bears federal protections. This has allowed population grow consideration impact removing on overall as requirement any future effort Court issued 65 impacting bear habitat, including 44 involving logging road construction, seven mining, four livestock grazing, two recreation, five oil gas leasing three projects, leading 11 these being stopped nine modified. also filed stop hunting in instances, trapping one, predator control one railroad mortality two, well activities that disturb helicopters instances snow mobile use another, resulting another 3 Protection under Endangered Species along subsequent litigation, led substantial changes management public lands zones populations, but not elsewhere species’ range. Overall, system an important, often overlooked, part endangered species.