Issues: Wildlife

An adult grizzly bear
Photo © Patrick Endres/ AlaskaStock.com

In the early 1800s, as many as 100,000 grizzly bears roamed the Western United States. But after hundreds of years of hunting and habitat destruction, the number of grizzlies in the American West has plummeted to about 1,500.

Why do grizzly bears matter? And why should Americans care about them? Here's what NRDC grizzly expert Louisa Willcox has to say about that:

Grizzly bears are icons of the wild high country of the American West. When Lewis and Clark explored the West, grizzlies roamed from the Great Plains to California, and from Alaska to Mexico. Today, however, the grizzly population in the lower 48 states is about 1 percent of estimated pre-colonial levels, and the few bears that remain are concentrated in shrinking pockets of the northern Rockies and North Cascades.

Any American who cares about this nation's history has a stake in conserving grizzly bears and their wildland habitat. Healthy bear populations mean that the land and other wildlife species are healthy. Our children and grandchildren deserve the chance to experience for themselves these wild landscapes and their animals.

According to wildlife biologists, the grizzly population must at least double its current size in order to ensure a full recovery. At the same time, the bear's habitat must be restored and protected.

The land that is home to the remaining grizzlies faces threats from drilling, logging and other human development and sprawl.  Their western habitats are also threatened by global warming. In the land in and around Yellowstone National Park, grizzlies rely on fatty whitebark pine seeds for nourishment before their yearly hibernation. Living at high elevations in these remote forests also keeps grizzlies out of harm's way and reduces conflict with humans. But rising temperatures have enabled mountain pine beetles to kill these trees, threatening the future of Yellowstone's grizzlies.

Fighting for Endangered Species Protection

In 1975, the grizzly had nearly disappeared from Yellowstone and the lower 48 states. That year, the bear was given Endangered Species Act protection, and a few years later, a rebound began. Today, the Greater Yellowstone area is home to between 500 and 600 grizzlies -- a significant achievement, but far from enough to ensure the bear's long-term survival. Wildlife biologists say the grizzly population must at least double its current size in order to ensure a full recovery.

Despite abundant evidence of threats to grizzlies and their habitat, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially removed the Yellowstone grizzly from the list of protected species in 2007.  NRDC and other groups immediately challenged the decision by filing a lawsuit in Idaho federal district court, arguing that the grizzly's survival is still threatened and that current state and federal plans will not be able to maintain the population. The case will likely take years to resolve.

Meanwhile, roughly 50 grizzlies were killed in 2008 -- more than in any single year since 1972, before the population was listed as threatened. The deaths demonstrate that adequate systems are not in place to maintain a healthy grizzly population in Yellowstone. Read updates on the fight for grizzlies at Switchboard, the NRDC blog.

Louisa Willcox.
Photo © Audrey Hall

An Expert Perspective

In these interview excerpts, Louisa Wilcox, NRDC's senior wildlife advocate and one of the foremost experts on grizzly bear conservation, explains the importance of protecting Yellowstone's grizzlies:

Why shouldn't Yellowstone's grizzlies be removed from the endangered species list?
These bears are still in trouble. To reach long-lasting recovery of the population, there should be 2,000 to 3,000 bears living in connected ecosystems. Today there are only 500 to 600. De-listing the bears has loosened restrictions on development and resource exploitation in their habitat, further shrinking the territory in which they can safely roam. Less land means fewer grizzlies. And if Yellowstone's grizzlies die out, it would be like Old Faithful running dry.

Who are the main opponents to grizzly conservation efforts?
The Forest Service is one, because, institutionally ... it is seeking to accommodate industries such as energy and logging, and motorized-vehicle users. Historically, some areas were placed off limits to oil and gas and other development to protect grizzly bears.

The farm bureaus, governors and most of the congressional delegations of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, as well as some counties, support grizzly delisting to open up habitat to development, and make it easier to kill bears. Some motorized-vehicle users support delisting because they want more access to public lands. Interestingly enough, the push for a grizzly hunt is not coming from the hunting community. It's coming from state game agencies that believe an animal isn't worth much unless it's hunted.

What will happen if we lose grizzlies in the lower 48 states?
We will lose an essential part of the last wild and intact ecosystems left in the lower 48 states. In losing an emblem of wilderness, we also lose a symbol of our frontier heritage. As a nation, we'll lose our credibility in the conservation arena. We'll look like hypocrites as we instruct other countries about conservation when we, the affluent United States, lack the will to protect an icon of our nation's heritage. Our grandchildren will lose too, as they will have to travel far to see a grizzly in Alaska or Canada. And we'll also lose out ecologically, considering that bears, as a top predator, help maintain the health of the ecosystem. We will lose a part of our own wild spirit, which needs wild country and wild animals for our own spiritual well-being.

And we could face this problem very quickly. When you only have about 500 to 600 bears left in Yellowstone, with only a quarter to a fifth of the population breeding, and key food sources at risk from drought or global warming, as well as unprecedented energy and human population pressures, you're really not very far from zero.

last revised 12/10/2008