11/16/05 Grizzly delisted in Idaho

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has removed the Yellowstone grizzly bear from the ESA threatened list. CRAIG "There were 200 plus grizzlies in the Yellowstone ecosystem when they were listed. There are now over 600 with a four to seven percent increase annually." On hand at yesterday's DC announcement was Idaho Senator Larry Craig who said such an action should have happened five years ago. Grizzly bear management is now under the jurisdiction of the Idaho State Department of Fish and Game. Craig says its time to take the next step. CRAIG "If we hold off on the delisting of the wolf and the overall management of numbers as long as we held off the grizzly I doubt there will be any elk or deer populations left in the state of Idaho at the rate of the wolf increase and the predation numbers and levels that are currently out there." Craig says the grizzly is another reason to reform the Endangered Species Act. It's only the 11th species removed from a list that now numbers 1294. He says that's no success rate. Opponents of the delisting obviously don't want the grizzly removed and several environmental groups have hinted that they'll take legal action to stop delisting. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott