Simpson Questions BLM

I got a press release from Fish & Game saying The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) is encouraged by the announcement by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service that it is beginning the final step in the process to delist the Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear population. There are a lot of people who oppose this plan but Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson isn't one of them. I talked with is spokesperson Nikki Wallace and she offered the following statement regarding the announcement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that the Greater Yellowstone Area Grizzly Bear is fully recovered and no longer warrants listing under the Endangered Species Act:

 

"For more than three decades, local, state, and federal partners have worked together to revive the population of the Greater Yellowstone Area Grizzly Bear," said Simpson. "I am pleased the Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed delisting the bear and returning management to state agencies. Today, the best scientific evidence proves the bear's habitat and population have fully recovered and no longer warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. While this is a positive development, I will thoroughly review the agency's full proposal and work with state and local partners to learn more about how the decision will impact Idaho."