Commissioners support 'swift' grizzly delisting

BONNERS FERRY — Boundary County commissioners have approved a resolution supporting the delisting of grizzly bears in the “lower 48” from the Endangered Species List.

On April 17, the commissioners unanimously approved and signed the resolution. Boundary County resident Darcy Lammers presented the commissioners with the resolution.

Lammers said the resolution closely mirrors a similar one approved last year. The resolution reaffirms Boundary County’s support for proactive state and local management measures, including conflict management.

Lammers said the resolution is also an attempt to get the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to reconsider delisting grizzly bears. It also calls on Idaho’s congressional delegation for assistance if Fish & Wildlife won’t reconsider delisting grizzly bears.

The resolution states, continued grizzly bear conservation, including conflict management and preventions, is best accomplished outside from the ESA framework under state management. It goes on to say USFWS has ignored federal legal standards and best available science to find Idaho's petition to delist grizzly bears in the lower 48.

In approving the resolution, the commissioners said they supported proactive conflict prevention, species management to ensure public safety, and management of grizzly populations at levels to maintain recovery states. In addition, the resolution calls for prevention and prompt response of grizzly conflict and nuisance situations and protection of Idaho’s sovereign interests, including through litigation, regarding appropriate delisting and management of grizzly bears.

A copy of the resolution was forwarded to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, county commissioner boards and congressional delegations in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

“As we all know local management is best for grizzly bears,” Lammers said, adding he hopes other counties will step forward again in support of delisting grizzly bears in the lower 48 states.

Last year, there were multiple cases of livestock either lost or injured by grizzly bears in Boundary County. Two bears were euthanized by Idaho Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to repeated attacks against livestock in the Naples and Porthill areas throughout the spring and summer.

Since 2019, it is estimated that more than 56 livestock were lost to confirmed or probable grizzly bear attacks.

In June 2022, local hunters shot a grizzly bear in self-defense in the Ruby Creek drainage, as they were harvesting a black bear. IDEG officials wrote that the grizzly appeared out from the dense brush and began approaching the hunters. An IDFG investigation determined the bear was killed in self-defense.

In 2022, there were efforts and a petition in support of delisting grizzly bears across the lower 48 states, and not just the population at Glacier National Park in Montana. Boundary County has two grizzly bear recovery zones in the Selkirks and Cabinet/Yaak.

Gov. Brad Little in March 2022 submitted a letter to USFWS. In November 2022, Idaho’s congressional delegation followed suit.

Last year, Idaho petitioned for delisting the “lower-48” grizzly bear because it does not qualify as a “species” under the Endangered Species Act. Under the ESA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was required to make a 90-day finding by June 7, 2022, but failed to do so.

Last March, Boundary County commissioners supported the delisting of grizzlies in the Glacier population, as well as the Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk population, which are in Boundary County, western Montana and British Columbia.

Since the Selkirk recovery area is smaller than the others and crosses into Canada it may never be delisted. Former Boundary County Commissioner Dan Dinning said last March that it is hard to meet recovery criteria in the recovery area when the laws in Canada allow the hunting of grizzlies. He added it is difficult to get an exact count of the grizzly population in the Selkirks, but it has been a joint effort with Fish and Wildlife, state of Idaho, Kootenai Tribe and others to study and genetically track the grizzly population.

Little’s push to delist grizzly bears aligned with Glacier National Park officials in Montana pushing to delist those grizzlies. The bears in recovery areas in Boundary County are genetically related to those in Glacier National Park.

The county has seen an increased grizzly population, Commissioner Tim Bertling said, noting that there are at least 10 grizzly bears on the North Bench. He added that farmers have had increasing problems with the bears getting into feed and disturbing their animals.

“We aren’t moving into their habitat, they are moving into ours,” Dinning had said.

On Feb. 2, Little notified the Biden Administrations of Idaho’s intent to sue over the federal government’s failure to uphold the law and make a required finding on the state’s petition to delist grizzly bears.

“Idaho’s entire congressional delegation and I are lockstep in our demand for answers from the federal government about grizzly bear delisting. Idaho has continually demonstrated leadership in species management, and we expect the federal government to uphold its duties in providing clarity around issues that greatly impact a variety of activities on the ground in our state,” Little said.

Over 10 months ago, Idaho petitioned for delisting the “lower-48” grizzly bear because it does not qualify as a “species” under the Endangered Species Act. Under the ESA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was required to make a 90-day finding by June 7, 2022, but failed to do so.

Last March, Boundary County Commissioners supported the delisting of grizzlies in the Glacier population, as well as the Cabinet-Yaak and Selkirk population, which are in Boundary County, Western Montana and British Columbia.

“Delisting is an important, and long overdue, recognition of these major roles Idaho and its neighboring states Montana, Wyoming and Washington have played in grizzly bear recovery by growing the population from a few hundred bears in 1975 to currently over 2,000 bears across four states,” said Roger Phillips, public information supervisor for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. “Grizzlies in the U.S. and Canada now number around 60,000 bears.”

“USFWS has provided only vague excuses and evasive answers as to why the agency has not made an initial determination on Idaho’s petition,” Little wrote in February. “USFWS’ lack of transparency on this subject has persisted, despite requests to discuss this subject at various meetings […] In November 2022, Idaho’s entire congressional delegation sent a letter to USFWS Director Williams urging response to Idaho’s petition and requesting a status report from USFWS. The delegation’s letter remains unanswered.”

“A determination on Idaho’s petition is what the ESA requires and what grizzly bear conservation and Idahoans deserve. Unless USFWS makes the initial determination on Idaho’s petition within the next 60 days, we intend to file suit,” Little added.

The day after Little’s announcement, federal officials announced their rejection of Idaho’s petition.

The Lewiston Tribune reported that USFWS indicated similar proposals by Wyoming and Montana “merited closer examination.” Officials will spend the next year studying petitions from these neighboring states as a result.

Yellowstone-area grizzly bears were delisted in 2017, but a 2020 court ruling restored federal protections based on multiple factors, including how it would affect bears outside the recovery area.