I decided in order to keep everyone inspired (and happy) once a month I’m going to write about a species population or environmental problem that has improved because of conservation efforts. So let me know in the comments or contact me directly with anything you want to hear about in next months conservation success post!

The plight of the Grizzly bear

The North American grizzly bear has faced many challenges at the hands of humans. A major roadblock in the conservation of grizzly bears has been laws around their protection, which has been a controversial issue since around 1975 when grizzlies were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. At this time the population was reduced to 2% of its original North American range—at less than 1000 individuals remaining. This was seen as an unsustainable population requiring human intervention in order to save the species from extinction. Some major components that drove the bears to this threatened status include eradication by humans due to fear of the bears, further expansion of human settlement and development destroying natural habitat, and hunting. The southernmost grizzly population at this time was residing in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with 136 remaining individuals. Under the Endangered Species Act changes were made to protect the bears, including:

• Ending hunting seasons around Yellowstone.

• Establishing a recovery area in Yellowstone National Park, parts of Grand Teton National Park and other private land around Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

• An increase in bear research and monitoring.

• Education programs to better educate the public about the plight of the grizzly and other public initiatives to contribute to conservation efforts.

• The Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan established in 1993 to guide management of the bears while listed as threatened.

These changes not only brought more awareness to the issues grizzly bears were facing across North America but successfully increased the number of individuals to a more self-sustaining population size. With help from organizations such as Defenders of Wildlife, grizzly-human conflict was alleviated with a variety of programs. Defenders, as well as other non-profits, government agencies, and local residents, were able to host programs to educate the public in areas with bear populations about ways they can keep themselves and bears safer. Implementing fencing, encouraging bear resistant garbage cans, hosting bear awareness trainings and providing tips and practice using bear spray—all of these initiatives made residents feel safer in order to properly protect the bears. In all conservation efforts it’s critical to involve the community surrounding the natural habitats of the wildlife at risk. By involving local people, we can ensure that the people are safe and equipped to deal with the problem at hand. This guarantees that there will be more people aware of the protection needs of the species and more people who are able to contribute to conservation efforts. 

By 2003 the recovery needs of the grizzly bears were met for the sixth year in a row, leading the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to propose removing grizzlies from the threatened species list in 2005. After they were removed in 2007 there were a number of lawsuits challenging this delisting due to the concern that the bear population would fall again. This triggered a number of appeals back and forth to delist or continue these protection efforts for the species. In 2017, the Yellowstone population was removed from the threatened species list which was followed by scheduling of hunts in Wyoming and Idaho for the Fall of 2018. Luckily, these hunts were cancelled after a judge restored the protection of the Yellowstone population under the Endangered Species Act in September of 2018.

Conservation success

The management of the bears in the national parks has led to an amazing recovery of the species and a true conservation success as the population was able to grow and expand into more of their former territory! All of the efforts made to protect the species reduced the amount of conflict seen between bears and humans and has been positive for the way in which grizzlies are perceived by humans. With more opportunities to view them in the national parks, this has both benefitted the species and the economy in the region with tens of millions of dollars being brought in by wildlife watching. 

What should we continue doing for the grizzly bears?

Although this is a major conservation success story, it’s crucial that we continue protecting the bears and educating ourselves about ways we can better protect ourselves and them! The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers the Endangered Species Act and therefore holds a lot of power over protection of wildlife. The National Park Service engages quite a bit with USFWS to provide data to them about population, genetics, range and more to ensure species that need help are receiving the protection they need. However, a huge part of proper protection is proper human interaction with wildlife and with nature. We can continue doing our part in protecting grizzlies by:

• Keeping a safe distance if you’re viewing them in the wild. Close interaction could be dangerous and result in human injury/death which also results in euthanasia for the bear.

• If you’re living in an area where there are bears, consider fencing options and use bear proof garbage cans to reduce the chance of a bear wandering onto your property. 

• Clean up after yourself when camping or visiting national parks, a major part of conserving wildlife is keeping them healthy. This includes reducing the amount of garbage or human materials of any kind being ingested. 

• Grizzly bears are protected under CITES Appendix II, which means that they are not necessarily threatened with extinction but trade and hunting need to be controlled in order to ensure a healthy population. AKA, don’t kill grizzlies (which should go without saying, but just to reiterate)!! 

• Carry bear spray when in areas where bears may be living—this is good for your survival and the survival of the bears in your path. 

The impact of protecting grizzly bears

Grizzlies are critical to their ecosystems and are considered keystone species in many regions because of their ability to keep populations in check. They keep herbivore populations level which prevents overgrazing while also depositing essential nutrients back into the soil. Additionally, salmon carcass disposal increase the available nitrogen in the soil, keeping their ecosystem healthy and the soils fertile.

The grizzly bear are also considered an umbrella species, meaning that protecting them and their ecosystem is effective in protecting other many species! By protecting these keystone carnivores we can conserve more of the natural landscapes and wildlife around North America.