Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) are an icon of the American West. Historically, their numbers were close to 50,000 and their range stretched from Canada to Mexico and California to Kansas. As European settlers arrived in the West in the 19th Century and made way for industry and agriculture, these bears were negatively impacted by overhunting, poison and habitat destruction.
By the 1970s, grizzly bear numbers had plummeted, and populations were reduced to 2% of their historical range with the last strongholds for the species in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Grizzly bears were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1975 due to rapidly declining populations and habitat destruction.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for management and oversight of grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 states. A grizzly bear recovery plan created in 1993 identified six recovery ecosystems: the North Cascades, Selkirk, Cabinet, Bitterroot, Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone.
Today, the Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems each have around 1,000 bears. The Bitterroot and North Cascades Ecosystems do not have viable grizzly bear populations and the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak have small populations far from recovery goals.
Our landscape has changed significantly in the last 30 years. More people are living, recreating and working in areas that overlap with grizzly bear habitat. Grizzly bears, while starting to re-occupy parts of their historic habitat outside of some recovery zones, are still absent within others. It is important to understand the long history of grizzly bear protections, the contentious debate over management and the complex story of the species recovery as we advocate for a brighter future with grizzly bears.
A Timeline of Grizzly Bears in the Lower 48 States
1800: There were an estimated 50,000 grizzly bears in the lower 48.
1890: Approximate year of last grizzly bear in Texas.
1922: Last known grizzly bear in California was shot in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
1923: Last reported sighting of a grizzly bear in Utah.
1931: Last reported sighting of a grizzly bear in Oregon.
1933: Last reported sighting of a grizzly bear in New Mexico.
1935: Grizzly bears were believed to be extirpated from Arizona.
1975: There were fewer than 1,000 grizzly bears in the lower 48. Grizzly bears were listed as threatened under the ESA due to low numbers and the threat from new roads, illegal hunting and increased human access.
1983: Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee is formed to coordinate recovery efforts.
1990: "Augmentation Program" began in Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem to bolster this population by relocating grizzly bears first from SE British Columbia and then in subsequent years, from the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem.
1993: FWS updated the 1982 Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, establishing six recovery ecosystems for management and identified the San Juans as in need of further evaluation.
1997: FWS published the North Cascades Ecosystem (Washington State) Recovery Plan Chapter.
2000-2001: FWS finalized a plan to reintroduce grizzly bears to the Bitterroot Ecosystem, but Interior Secretary Norton shelved the plan a year later.
2005-2007: FWS proposed delisting Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bears due to population growth. This population was delisted two years later.
2009: Federal protections for Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem bears were restored by a federal judge in Montana.
2011: A North Cascades grizzly bear was photographed for the first time in over 50 years.
2014-2015: Federal efforts began to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades, initiating environmental analysis and public input process. Over 3,000 public comments were submitted on federal plans in support of this reintroduction.
2016: A historic treaty was signed by over 200 U.S. and Canadian tribal groups, advocating for the protection of grizzly bears and denouncing trophy hunting.
2017: Interior Secretary Zinke announced the delisting of Yellowstone-area grizzly bears, citing a population rebound to 700 bears. Conservation groups and Tribes filed lawsuits, citing concerns about ecological impacts.
2018: The district court restored Yellowstone-area bears to the endangered species list, citing concerns about the impact of delisting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to the rest of the populations, the need for recalibration methods for estimating the population for mortality limits and a lack of analysis around genetic health.
2019: The Trump administration formally appealed the decision that restored protections to Yellowstone-area bears.
2020: The Ninth Circuit Court upheld protections for Yellowstone grizzly bears.
2022: FWS received petitions from the states of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana to delist bears in various areas.
2023: FWS responded to the petitions and denied Idaho's but initiated a status review of the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide Ecosystems in response to Wyoming and Montana’s petitions, respectively. FWS and the National Park Service also released a draft plan proposing the reintroduction of grizzly bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem.
2024: Montana translocated two grizzly bears from the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in an attempt to increase the genetic diversity in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. FWS announced a public comment period to consider options for restoring grizzly bears to the Bitterroot ecosystem. FWS and NPS also issued a Record of Decision to actively restore grizzly bears to the North Cascades Ecosystem. Finally, a settlement agreement was reached requiring FWS to revise how grizzly bears are listed in lower 48 by January 31, 2026.
2025: In response to Montana and Wyoming’s petitions, FWS determined there is not a basis to delist grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems.
Working to Protect and Advance Grizzly Bear Recovery
Defenders anticipates a flurry of new policy decisions as the Trump administration takes hold. It will be a challenging time, but we will remain steadfast in our advocacy efforts, commitment to coexistence work and to our conflict prevention programs in the field. Follow Defenders to get the latest grizzly bear news and hear more about our work.
Author
Joseph Vaile
Wildlife & Wild Places
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