The Idaho Fish and Game Commission is moving forward with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s (IDFG) proposal to open a hunting season for Greater Yellowstone ecosystem grizzly bears in 2018, less than a year after their delisting.
On April 16, IDFG proposed that the Commission allow for the hunting of one grizzly bear within the Demographic Monitoring Area (DMA).
Suzanne Stone, Idaho resident and Northwest senior representative at Defenders of Wildlife, issued this statement:
“We should not be killing grizzly bears we’re trying to save. This hunt will add needless mortality to a population already experiencing high human-related grizzly bear deaths. The ability for the Yellowstone ecosystem grizzly bear population to become a source for natural recolonization of the Bitterroot ecosystem rests largely on decisions made by Idaho. Instead of focusing on hunting, Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Commission should focus on providing protections that support grizzly bear occupancy and movement outside the Demographic Monitoring Area (DMA) and drafting of a statewide management plan.”
For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.
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