Grizzly bears need to be delisted

Although we doubt there is little chance for success because of the current political makeup in Washington, we applaud Wyoming’s congressional delegation in their continuing efforts to delist the grizzly bear.

Both Sen. Cynthia Lummis and U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney last month introduced bills in their respective chambers to delist the grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from the Endangered Species act.

Cheney’s bill goes even further with the additional language of prohibiting any judicial review on the decision.

If that bill passes, it would finally put an end to the frivolous lawsuits and politics involved in the delisting decision.

Last Tuesday, the Park County Commissioners signed a letter of support for the bills.

Not only are Lummis, Cheney and Park County Commissioners pushing the proposal, but former Sen. Mike Enzi attempted to get a similar bill passed in 2019 and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has requested congressional action to delist grizzly bears.

The letter from the commissioners contained some of the best arguments for congressional action, succinctly stating: “The grizzly has been delisted twice, only to have those decisions reversed by federal judges who have been influenced by groups that are motivated by financial gain rather than the sound management of a recovered species.”

The commissioners’ letter also stated, “The Endangered Species Act must be guided by science, yet we have wildlife management coming down from the bench rather than from the biological experts who have dedicated their lives to the study of these animals.”

Many state and federal wildlife managers say not only has the grizzly bear population recovered, but it has reached overpopulation for its available range.

It’s past time to unelect judges and remove bureaucrats from management and allow the biological experts and individual states that know the situation intimately to manage the grizzly.

by John Malmberg, Cody Enterprise