The Trump administration announced a significant policy shift Tuesday for grizzly bear management in the Lower 48 states, proposing to transfer day-to-day oversight to individual states while keeping the animals on the federal endangered species list. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum made the announcement at a press conference held just south of Big Sky, Montana, north of Yellowstone National Park.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, and Idaho Gov. Brad Little attended the event, signaling broad support among Western state executives who have long sought greater control over grizzly management within their borders.
What the Rule Does — and Doesn’t Do
The new rule amends Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act to delegate management authority to states, but it does not remove grizzlies from the threatened species list — a distinction that separates this action from the two prior federal delisting attempts in 2007 and 2017, both of which were struck down in court.
The full text of the new 4(d) rule had not yet been published as of the announcement, leaving some details of how state authority will be structured unresolved. Gianforte made clear that expanded state control would not immediately open the door to hunting in Montana, noting that the state maintains a five-year moratorium on grizzly hunting following any delisting action. “The grizzly bear recovery story is one of America’s greatest conservation successes,” Gianforte said at the event.
Decades of Federal Protection
Grizzly bears in the contiguous United States have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1975, when fewer than 600 animals remained south of the Canadian border. The listing marked the start of more than 50 years of federally managed recovery efforts concentrated primarily around two ecosystems — the Greater Yellowstone region and the area surrounding Glacier National Park in Montana.
Both of those populations have grown substantially. Each now numbers approximately 1,000 bears, a recovery that supporters of state management point to as evidence that federal oversight has accomplished its original goal and that management can safely shift to the states.
Western states have repeatedly petitioned for that transfer of authority. In January 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denied those petitions and issued a rule reaffirming the bears’ protected status — a decision the new administration’s announcement effectively works to reverse through a different legal mechanism.
Conservation Groups Signal Legal Challenge
Environmental advocates pushed back sharply on the administration’s move. Andrea Zaccardi, a representative with the Center for Biological Diversity, said the organization was “disappointed the Trump administration is trying to make it easier to kill grizzly bears.” Conservation groups have successfully challenged both prior delisting attempts in federal court, and the new rule’s durability under litigation remains an open question, particularly given that the bear remains technically listed as threatened.
By the Numbers
1975: Year grizzlies were listed as threatened in the Lower 48
Fewer than 600: Estimated grizzly population at the time of listing
~1,000 bears each: Current population in the Yellowstone and Glacier ecosystems
2007 and 2017: Years of prior federal delisting attempts, both reversed in court
5 years: Montana’s moratorium on grizzly hunting following any delisting action
Broader Context
The move is part of a wider push by the Trump administration and Western Republican governors to shift federal land and wildlife management decisions closer to state governments. Disputes over Endangered Species Act protections — including for wolves, sage grouse, and other species — have long been a flashpoint between federal agencies and Western states that view federal restrictions as an obstacle to ranching, hunting, and resource development.
Congress has also shown interest in wildlife and public lands issues in the region. A Senate committee recently advanced a $10 billion national park maintenance bill with a Montana senator as co-author, reflecting continued legislative attention to federal land management in the West.
What’s Next
The formal rule text is expected to be published in the Federal Register, at which point a public comment period would typically follow before the rule takes effect. Legal challenges from conservation organizations are widely anticipated, given the history of litigation surrounding prior grizzly management changes. How courts interpret the use of Section 4(d) authority as a vehicle for state delegation — while the threatened listing remains in place — will likely be the central legal question if the rule is challenged.