The Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem has the largest distinct population segment of grizzlies, with an estimated 1,000 bears in the mountains between Glacier National Park and Interstate 90. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in the tri-state area around Yellowstone National Park has an estimated 750 grizzlies.

FWS attempted to delist the Greater Yellowstone grizzlies in 2017, but a federal court ruling last September vacated that decision. That forced FWS to delay its plans to delist the Northern Continental Divide grizzlies, which it had planned to do by the end of 2018. While the service has filed a notice of appeal, it also has the option of drafting a new delisting rule for one or both ecosystems to answer the court failings.

“It’s time to get the courts out of the management of grizzlies,” Cuffe said. “The GYE (Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem) population has been through two delisting proposals at different times, and they got held up in the courts. The fear is if people keep manipulating and finding reasons to prevent delisting, especially in areas where they’ve had proposals to delist, what they wind up doing is taking away respect for the Endangered Species Act.