“Nesvik has a track record of favoring industries over wildlife. Ranching and agriculture and extracted industries get all the concessions here in Wyoming,” said Kristin Combs, Executive Director of Wyoming Wildlife Advocates. “There’s no reason to think that it would be any different at the federal level.”

Kristin CombsExecutive Director of Wyoming Wildlife Advocates

“Rather than ensuring the survival of America’s most at-risk wildlife, Nesvik’s history suggests he will do the opposite—greenlighting more destruction, more killing, and more habitat loss,” said Joanna Zhang, endangered species advocate at WildEarth Guardians. “WildEarth Guardians and our allies will fight every step of the way to hold this administration accountable and protect our nation’s wildlife from this disastrous leadership.”

Joanna ZhangEndangered Species Advocate at WildEarth Guardians

“Nesvik’s lackadaisical response to the tormenting of that young Wyoming wolf speaks volumes about his lack of care for wildlife,” said Stephanie Kurose, Center for Biological Diversity Deputy Director of Government Affairs. “But his larger record truly underscores how deeply he despises the Fish and Wildlife Service’s fundamental mission. Most Americans want our imperiled wildlife protected, but we can’t count on Nesvik to lift a finger to prevent extinction.”

Stephanie KuroseCenter for Biological Diversity Deputy Director of Government Affairs

“Nesvik’s tenure as head of Wyoming Game and Fish prioritized trophy hunts and weakened protections for imperiled species over scientifically sound wildlife management,” said Bradley Williams, Sierra Club’s Deputy Legislative Director for Wildlife and Lands Protection. “One of the USFWS most important roles is upholding the Endangered Species Act, and given his experience, it’s not clear whether Nesvik will be able to fulfill that duty. Unfortunately, it appears that wildlife will pay the price.”

Bradley WilliamsSierra Club’s Deputy Legislative Director for Wildlife and Lands Protection

“California’s national wildlife refuges are a cornerstone of Latino communities’ access to nature and biodiversity,” said Pedro Hernandez, California State Program Manager for GreenLatinos. “Our refuge system and successful Endangered Species Act implementation have supported California as a global biodiversity hotspot. Yet, Brian Nesvik’s nomination risks years of progress and his track record threatens to roll back the clock to a time when our refuge system was even more under-resourced and dominated by extractive interests. Our communities can’t afford leadership that deprioritizes science, equity, species protections and ecological integrity.”

Pedro HernandezCalifornia State Program Manager for GreenLatinos

“Brian Nesvik has repeatedly used state power to undermine the very laws he’s now charged with upholding. His confirmation as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a gift to extractive industries and a threat to imperiled species across the West,” said Josh Osher, Public Policy Director for Western Watersheds Project. “From sanctioning wolf slaughter to promoting unsustainable livestock grazing on public lands, Nesvik has consistently prioritized industry profits over ecological integrity. We need leadership rooted in science and recovery — not someone who treats the Endangered Species Act as an obstacle to be dismantled.”

Josh OsherPublic Policy Director for Western Watersheds Project

The post Trump Administration Declares a War on Wildlife with Nomination of Brian Nesvik appeared first on Endangered Species Coalition.

“These are not the challenges the species is currently facing. The number one threat today is habitat loss, wherever they are found, including their wintering and breeding ranges. Without habitat protection, this species, and countless more, will go extinct.”

Kristen Boyles, EarthjusticeAttorney

“Wildlife cannot survive without habitat — that’s not opinion, that’s biology," said Josh Osher, public policy director for Western Watersheds Project. "This proposed rule is an industry-crafted blueprint for extinction, designed to let corporations destroy the very ground endangered species stand on, while pretending no harm is being done.”

Josh OsherPublic Policy Director for Western Watersheds Project

“Loving wildlife is baked into our national heritage. Americans are very proud that our nation has prioritized conserving birds, fish and other wildlife that make our country so special,” said Ramona McGee, leader of the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Wildlife Program. “Here in the South, the stakes are much higher because of our world-renowned biodiversity, which is increasingly at risk from human-made factors like habitat destruction from unchecked, harmful development. It is unconscionable that our leaders are unnecessarily attempting to remove vital wildlife and habitat protections to placate extractive industries.” 

Ramona McGeeLeader of the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Wildlife Program

“This nonstarter proposal ignores critical conservation provisions in a law that supports America’s most at-risk fish, wildlife, and plant populations, including over 600 species with habitat in our national parks,” said Christina Hazard, legislative director for the National Parks Conservation Association. “When food sources, nesting grounds or mating grounds are lost outside of national park boundaries, park wildlife will be lost as well.”

Christina HazardLegislative Director for the National Parks Conservation Association.

“Habitat integrity is among the most significant determinants of species’ survival; this rule change would jeopardize imperiled animals and entire ecosystems,” said Danielle Kessler, US Country Director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). “Effective, science-driven implementation of the Endangered Species Act–including habitat protection–benefits animals and people alike.”

Danielle KesslerUS Country Director at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

"The Trump administration is attempting to dismantle and discredit one of America's most popular and successful laws," said Sierra Weaver, senior attorney at Defenders of Wildlife. "The current definition of 'harm' is a large part of what has made the ESA so effective at conserving imperiled species. This isn't just redefining one word — it is gutting the heart of the Act. It will have cataclysmic consequences to the habitats, lands and waters that America's wildlife relies upon, and goes against Congress' intent for the law."

Sierra WeaverSenior Attorney at Defenders of Wildlife

"Extinction is forever," says Katherine Miller, Country Director for FOUR PAWS USA. "If we allow the ESA to be weakened and species' habitats to be destroyed for profit, the consequences of these decisions will reverberate for generations. Science has shown that protecting a listed species' habitat is vital to their survival and recovery. This is why we urge FWS and NMFS to withdraw their proposed rule and uphold America’s commitment to save endangered species, ensuring a livable planet for all of us."

Katherine MillerCountry Director for FOUR PAWS USA

“Loss of habitat is the number one reason species become endangered,” said Susan Holmes, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition. “Trump’s draconian proposal to end habitat protection for our most vulnerable wildlife rips out the heart of the Endangered Species Act and would put countless species on the path to extinction.”

Susan HolmesExecutive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition

"The Services' proposal shows they are not serious about protecting imperiled species,” said Rebecca Riley, managing director for Food & Agriculture at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). "Habitat destruction is the number one threat to species' survival, and yet they are coming up with weak excuses to claim Congress didn't intend to address this existential threat.”

Rebecca RileyManaging Director for Food & Agriculture at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)

“Trump’s smash-and-grab habitat plan could welcome bulldozers and drilling rigs into the beautiful wild places that America’s most imperiled animals call home,” said Tara Zuardo, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The administration’s proposal seeks to rip a bloody hole in the Endangered Species Act, prioritizing industry profits over protecting habitat that’s crucial to preventing extinction. This is an illegal attempt to nullify a landmark wildlife law that’s supported by nearly every American who isn’t an oil executive, a timber baron or a Trump appointee.”

Tara ZuardoSenior Campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity

“Piping Plovers were set on a path to extinction due to millinery and hunting at the turn of the 19th century,” said Chris Allieri, founder and executive director, NYC Plover Project. “These are not the challenges the species is currently facing. The number one threat today is habitat loss, wherever they are found, including their wintering and breeding ranges. Without habitat protection, this species, and countless more, will go extinct.”

Chris AllieriFounder and Executive Director, NYC Plover Project

The post Over 150,000 Americans Oppose Trump Administration’s Unprecedented Effort to Eliminate Habitat Protections for Vulnerable Wildlife appeared first on Endangered Species Coalition.

Washington, D.C. – On Friday, May 16, thousands of Americans will participate in Endangered Species Day events and activities nationwide, recognizing the public’s commitment to protecting and restoring our disappearing wildlife. This is the 20th annual Endangered Species Day, which is held on the third Friday of May. 

Immensely, popular and successful, the Endangered Species Act has been at the core of our country’s commitment to protecting wildlife and the natural world for our children and grandchildren since 1973. Ninety-nine percent of species protected under the Endangered Species Act have been saved from extinction, including the humpback whale and bald eagle. The Endangered Species Act protects over 2,000 species of plants and animals that are threatened or endangered. 

This year, Endangered Species Day occurs as thousands of people across the United States speak out against billionaire-backed proposals to weaken environmental protections, including the Endangered Species Act, and call on their elected officials to uphold safeguards for biodiversity.

“Endangered Species Day honors our national responsibility to future generations to be good stewards of nature,” stated Susan Holmes, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition–the primary sponsor of Endangered Species Day. “The Endangered Species Act is our safety net for fish, plants, and wildlife on the brink of extinction. Because of the Endangered Species Act, gray whales still swim our oceans, peregrine falcons still soar our skies, and polar bears roam the arctic tundra.”

Endangered Species Day was first created by the U.S. Senate in 2006, when it unanimously designated May 11, 2006, as the first ever “Endangered Species Day” to encourage “the people of the United States to become educated about, and aware of, threats to species, success stories in species recovery, and the opportunity to promote species conservation worldwide.”

The Endangered Species Act was passed because Americans believed then, as they do now, that protecting our wildlife is a moral imperative and a responsibility to future generations. It protects more than our fellow creatures; it also safeguards our nation’s environmental health and the heart of the American way of life. 

Congress, states, and towns across the country also recognize Endangered Species Day. In Boone and Chapel Hill, NC, the towns will vote on proclamations tomorrow designating May 16th, 2025, as Endangered Species Day to show their support for the Endangered Species Act and its protections of our most vulnerable wildlife, like the Hellbender. 

On May 16th, and throughout the month, wildlife refuges, zoos, aquariums, parks, botanic gardens, schools, libraries, museums, and community groups will hold Endangered Species Day events. Some highlights include:

• A nationwide chalk art contest, hosted by the Endangered Species Coalition;
• Colorado Endangered Species Week, a week of free educational events and fun advocacy opportunities to protect the plant and animal species at risk in Colorado, including a discussion about Colorados Wolverine reintroduction an evening bat walk, a celebration of CO public lands, and an auction, hosted by Rocky Mountain Wild and Bat Conservation International; 
• Special exhibits and activities at zoos nationwide are part of AZA’s Party for the Planet celebrations. Party for the Planet offers families unique opportunities to visit their local AZA-accredited zoo and aquarium, celebrate the Earth’s biodiversity, and learn how they can take action to make a difference. This year, they focus on three action areas: Conserve, Create, and Connect to nature.
• Pollinator garden plantings in states across the U.S. to create habitat for native bees, butterflies, and other pollinator species.
• Community Science projects involve volunteers using a phone app to find and record as many species as possible in a specific location. 
• Film screenings and postcard parties- ESC put together a list of films on endangered species and their habitats for individuals to organize events for their friends and families, and take action to protect them afterward.

These and other events are listed in an event directory on the Endangered Species Day website. 

In addition to the Endangered Species Coalition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), numerous conservation, education, community and youth organizations have also supported and participated in Endangered Species Day, including the Girl Scouts USA, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Smithsonian, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, and many more. 

Visit www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org for more information on Endangered Species Day, including event locations and a variety of educational resource materials.

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Washington, D.C. —Today, the Republican-led House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries will consider legislation that would dramatically weaken the widely popular Endangered Species Act (ESA) and strip protections for gray wolves in 48 states.

The first bill — the “ESA Amendments Act of 2025” — would gut the critical protections that the ESA provides for thousands of imperiled species, upend the scientific consultation process (which has been the cornerstone of American species protection for 50 years), slow listings to a crawl while fast-tracking delistings, and allow much more exploitation of threatened species and shift their management out of federal hands to the states, even while they are still nationally listed. 

The second bill — the so-called “Pet and Livestock Protection Act of 2025″ — would reissue the first Trump administration’s delisting of the gray wolf across most of the U.S. and bar judicial review of that action. In 2022, a federal court reversed this delisting, after conservation groups challenged it.

In addition to the Republican-led Congressional attacks on the ESA and gray wolves, the Trump administration recently terminated hundreds of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees — nearly 5 percent of the agency’s workforce — which is already critically understaffed. Without those employees, it will be even harder for disappearing vulnerable species to receive crucial protections, and for vitally important ecosystems across the U.S. to remain intact.  

In response to attempts to undermine the ESA and delist gray wolves, organizations from across the country sent a letter to HNR leadership outlining opposition to the bills. Additionally, groups from the Endangered Species Coalition issued the following statements:

“These attempts to weaken the Endangered Species Act, or to go around it by picking off species like the gray wolf, represent a fundamental disconnect between a small number of legislators and millions of Americans,” said Earthjustice legislative director for lands, wildlife, and oceans Addie Haughey. “The ESA — and the iconic species it protects — enjoys immense support across the political spectrum. If these bills move forward, Congress will be acting against popular will and ignoring science to sacrifice the wildlife we love and the ecosystems we rely on.”

“Congressman Westerman’s bill would eviscerate the Endangered Species Act and push imperiled species to extinction,” said Ellen Richmond, senior attorney at Defenders of Wildlife. “The Endangered Species Act is the backstop for our nation’s wildlife already at the brink of extinction and this bill would sanction their swift descent into nothingness. We urge our representatives in Congress to listen to the American public’s overwhelming support for the Endangered Species Act and reject this disastrous bill which does nothing to strengthen wildlife protections and instead reverses decades of conservation success.”

“We are in a biodiversity crisis, and Congress is playing with fire. These bills would accelerate extinction at a time when we can least afford it,” said Josh Osher, public policy director for Western Watersheds Project. “The Endangered Species Act isn’t just about saving wolves, grizzlies, or sea turtles—it’s about protecting the ecosystems that sustain us all. Weakening these protections pushes our planet further into collapse. Congress must open its eyes and reject these reckless attacks before it’s too late.”

“These extreme bills would gut protections for wildlife under the Endangered Species Act. They are being introduced against a backdrop of sudden and indiscriminate firings across the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, robbing these agencies of the experts who implement these crucial protections based on the best available science,” said Susan Millward, executive director and chief executive officer for the Animal Welfare Institute. “These assaults on wildlife protections come at a time of staggering biodiversity loss, and imperiled species don’t have the luxury of waiting out these political games.”

“Extinction is forever,” says Katherine Miller, Country Director for FOUR PAWS USA. ” If we allow the protections afforded by the ESA to be weakened and undermined by legislation like this, the consequences of these decisions will reverberate for generations. The ESA protects both iconic native species like Bald eagles and non-native species like Bengal tigers. It has also protected millions of acres of habitat, ensuring a livable planet for all of us.”

“The ESA Amendments Act of 2025, introduced by Representative Westerman, is severely out of step with how most Americans view and support wildlife protection. It prioritizes big industry and special interests ahead of decades-long, science-based protections that work,” said Chris Allieri, executive director and founder, NYC Plover Project. “Radicals in Congress are fast-tracking extinction and looking to severely weaken, if not entirely remove, bedrock environmental laws like the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.” 

“The Endangered Species Act is one of the country’s most popular and successful conservation laws, and Donald Trump wants to throw it in the garbage to pad the bottom lines of his corporate supporters,” said Bradley Williams, Sierra Club’s Deputy Legislative Director for Wildlife and Lands Protection. “Since Day One of his administration, Trump has shown again and again that he wants to hand over control of our public lands and waters to billionaires and corporations. Imperiled wildlife will suffer the consequences. For more than 50 years, the United States has made amazing progress bringing species back from the brink of extinction. It’s because of the ESA that species like the grizzly bear and bald eagle are living symbols of America and not just photos in a history book. If Trump and his allies in Congress get their way, that progress won’t just come to a screeching halt – it could be completely reversed.”

“For decades, the Endangered Species Act has been a critical lifeline in preventing the irreversible loss of our nation’s wildlife. Legislation like H.R. 845 and H.R. 1897 would undermine this powerful tool against extinction and jeopardize ongoing recovery efforts of our iconic native species, like the gray wolf.” said Jennifer Eskra, Director of Legislative Affairs at Humane World Action Fund “At a time of growing biodiversity loss, it is essential that legislators prioritize science over politics and stand with the millions of Americans who support the ESA.”

“The Endangered Species Act is one of America’s most respected and successful conservation laws. Unfortunately, Representative Westerman’s ESA amendments are crafted for greedy billionaires clinging to a 19th-century vision of plundering the planet,” said Endangered Species Coalition National Policy Director Jewel Tomasula. “This bill would devastate the sea turtles people love to see at the beach, the bumblebees that pollinate our food crops, and the spotted owls that indicate healthy forests. This bill would destroy wildlife and wild places, not protect them.”

“These reckless attacks on the Endangered Species Act and gray wolves are nothing more than a giveaway to industry at the expense of our nation’s most imperiled wildlife,” said Joanna Zhang, endangered species advocate at WildEarth Guardians. “Gutting protections for species on the brink of extinction is not reform—it’s a death sentence. Americans overwhelmingly support the ESA because it works, and we urge our representatives in Congress not to stand by while Trump and his allies try to dismantle one of our most effective conservation laws.”

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For Immediate Release: March 25, 2025
Contacts:
Jewel Tomasula jewel@endangered.org
Susan Holmes sholmes@endangered.org

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries will consider legislation to amend the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and a separate bill to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list today.

Introduced by Representative Westerman (R-AR), the ESA Amendments Act of 2025 (H.R. 1897) would gut core protections for our most endangered wildlife. The bill would bring back regulations put in place by the Trump administration in 2019, which the Biden administration subsequently revised. It would slow the species listing process, speed up delisting, undermine the work of experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and gut the consultation process that ensures federal agencies do not take actions that could drive a species extinct.

“The Endangered Species Act is one of America’s most respected and successful conservation laws. Ninety-nine percent of the species listed are with us today because of the ESA. Unfortunately, Representative Westerman’s ESA amendments are crafted for greedy billionaires clinging to a 19th-century vision of plundering the planet,” said Endangered Species Coalition National Policy Director Jewel Tomasula. “This bill would devastate the sea turtles people love to see at the beach, the bumblebees that pollinate our food crops, and the spotted owls that indicate healthy forests. This bill would destroy wildlife and wild places, not protect them.”

The hearing will also consider H.R. 845, sponsored by Representative Boebert (CO-04), which seeks to remove gray wolves from the list of endangered and threatened species and prohibit any challenges to the law in court. Specifically, the bill would reinstate a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) delisting decision issued in November 2020, the end of the first Trump administration, which was overturned in court because FWS did not use the best available science, among other serious errors.

“The return of the gray wolf to the lower-48 states is one of America’s greatest conservation success stories,” said Susan Holmes, Executive Director, Endangered Species Coalition.  “Removing protection for wolves would reverse the recovery of one of our most beloved species and take us back to a time when wolves were shot, trapped, and poisoned until they disappeared from the landscape.  Endangered Species Act protections remain key to ensuring gray wolves return to the American landscape where they belong,” said Holmes.    

“Both these bills are completely out of step with the public and their love of wildlife, “ continued Holmes. “The Endangered Species Act has overwhelming bipartisan support. Eighty-nine percent of democrats and eighty percent of republicans support the ESA,”  said Holmes. According to a recent poll by the National Parks Conservation Association, 84 percent of Americans support returning wolves to suitable national park landscapes in the Lower 48.

Background on the Endangered Species Act

The ESA provides practical solutions to recover plant and animal species threatened with extinction. As of 2023, 99% of all species listed as “endangered” or “threatened” under the ESA have been saved from extinction. Hundreds of species are on the path to recovery, thanks to actions facilitated and enforced under the ESA, which include partnerships with dedicated researchers, field workers, citizen scientists, and volunteers working to save species throughout the country.

Background on gray wolves

Approximately two million gray wolves roamed North America in the early 1800s, but both legal and illegal efforts eradicated them from the continental United States. Today, gray wolf numbers are fewer than 7,000, and they occupy only about 10 percent of their historic range in the Lower 48 States. A successful U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-led restoration effort in the mid-1990s, in partnership with Nez Perce Tribe, brought wolves back throughout the Northern Rockies region, and a voter-initiated effort to restore the species to Colorado began in 2024. Other areas of suitable habitat in the U.S. do not yet have an established population of gray wolves.

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Feb 12, 2025

Contact: Susan Holmes- (202)329-1553 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, reports emerged that Donald Trump has nominated former Wyoming Game and Fish Director Brian Nevsik as the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Nesvik’s nomination has been referred to the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the federal agency charged with protecting endangered species and migratory birds and manages nearly 860 million acres of national wildlife refuges. Roughly 8,000 people work to carry out its mission to “conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats…”

Statement by Susan Holmes, Executive Director 

“Nesvik’s nomination is devastating news for wildlife and endangered species. During his time as Director of Wyoming Fish and Game, he repeatedly called for weakening the Endangered Species Act, oversaw a 50% increase in hunting tags for mountain lions and black bears, and testified before the U.S. Congress that grizzly bears should lose endangered species protections, “by whatever means is necessary.” Last year, his Commission received global condemnation for imposing only a minimal fine when a Wyoming man used a snowmobile to run down and brutally torture a young female wolf. There is no doubt that if confirmed as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, he will do the Trump Administration’s bidding to advance unchecked drilling, mining, and logging of fragile wildlife habitats. He will sacrifice our precious endangered species for industry profits at every turn. It will be a war on wildlife that will wreak havoc on the protection and recovery of species from grizzlies to sea turtles to monarch butterflies.”

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Contact: Ryan Sedgeley,rsedgeley@endangered.org

Wolf Restoration Film Welcome Home Wins Best Conservation Film at The Portland EcoFilm Festival

Montrose, CO – January 28, 2025—The Endangered Species Coalition with Reel Earth Films is thrilled to announce that our short documentary film, Welcome Home, has been awarded the Best Conservation Film at the prestigious Portland EcoFilm Festival! This honor celebrates the powerful storytelling and impactful message behind our film, which tells the story of how people across Colorado are working together to make gray wolf restoration a success.

Welcome Home celebrates the reintroduction of wolves to Colorado. When the people of Colorado voted to return wolves to the state, they set in motion a unique conservation success story. The film shows the value of returning this historic carnivore and how people and wildlife can live together. 

Alan Lacy, director of Welcome Home, expressed their gratitude: “When we set out to produce “Welcome Home,” our goal was to create a film that not only captured this monumental moment for conservation in Colorado but to celebrate the decision of the people within the state to bring back wolves. Winning Best Conservation Film at the Portland EcoFilm Festival extends this celebration as a victory for wolves returning to their native habitat, and it’s truly an honor to continue this celebration as part of this year’s festival.” The Portland EcoFilm Festival is one of the leading showcases for films that focus on environmental and conservation themes, attracting filmmakers and audiences from around the globe. Winning this award underscores the importance and urgency of the issues presented in Welcome Home and highlights its ability to resonate deeply with viewers.

The Endangered Species Coalition and Reel Earth Films would like to thank the festival organizers, judges, and our incredible team of collaborators, including The Volgenau Foundation, Associate Producer Alana Helapitage, Cinematographer Chris Fischer, and Writer and Editor Patrick Lehr. Most importantly, we extend our gratitude to the communities and individuals who shared their stories and inspired this work.

As part of the momentum from this award, we are excited to announce that the film can be viewed at select film festivals across the world, with a public release planned for 2025. We invite everyone to join us in spreading awareness of this conservation success and driving positive change for the future of our wildlife.

For more information about Welcome Home, including upcoming events and how to support its mission, please visit endangered.org/welcomehome.

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Former U.S. Fish & Wildlife Grizzly Coordinator updates his own 30-year-old Recovery Plan 

Media Contact:

Maggie Caldwell, 347-527-6397, mcaldwell@earthjustice.org

Washington, D.C. – Today 15 national, regional and state environmental, tribal, and animal welfare groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to adopt a new approach to recovering grizzly bears in the U.S. Northern Rockies, pointing to a new science-based report by Dr. Christopher Servheen, the former USFWS Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator (1981-2016). The petition comes about a month ahead of the USFWS’ deadline to make a decision on delisting the bears. 

Earthjustice drafted the petition which asks the Service to update its Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan to incorporate the points raised in Dr. Servheen’s new report, which details site-specific management actions to aid in the bears’ recovery. Dr. Servheen led the team that wrote the existing recovery plan for grizzly bears in 1993, and is now calling for this work to be updated with the best available science and latest conservation practices. Dr. Servheen says the new management approach would give bears a chance at a durable recovery. 

“The grizzly bears in the Northern U.S. Rockies live in only 4% of their former range in the lower 48 states,” said Dr. Christopher Servheen. “Grizzly presence is part of what makes this part of America so special. We should choose a careful management approach that will assure the future for these magnificent animals because they are an important part of the heritage of the American West.” 

The petition and recovery plan updates come during a record-breaking deadly year for grizzlies. Seventy-three grizzly bears have been killed in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem alone. Throughout the U.S. Northern Rockies, at least 90 grizzly bears have died this year due to human causes. In his paper, Dr. Servheen highlights a number of mounting threats to grizzlies, including: 

• Increased human development and encroachment into grizzly territory;
• New state laws and policies that are lethal to grizzlies and other carnivores;
• The ongoing harms from climate change on grizzly bears and their habitats; 
• Other land uses that are bringing grizzlies into more contact with humans and livestock. 

Dr. Servheen’s proposed updates to the 1993 Recovery Plan include the following revisions:

• A switch from management of the Northern Rockies bears in five distinct and isolated populations to a single, interconnected metapopulation of grizzlies across the region;
• New protections for grizzlies against potentially lethal human activities;
• Protections for grizzly habitat and careful mortality management in connectivity areas between ecosystems;
• Policies that reduce human/bear conflicts through increasing resources and assistance for communities;
• Reliable commitments from state and federal agencies to maintain grizzly and habitat protections after delisting. 

Earthjustice led the petition effort, submitting it on behalf of the following 14 groups:

• Center for Biological Diversity
• Endangered Species Coalition
• Friends of the Bitterroot
• Friends of the Clearwater
• Great Bear Foundation
• Humane Society of the United States
• Humane Society Legislative Fund
• Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment
• Park County Environmental Council
• Sierra Club
• Western Watersheds Project
• WildEarth Guardians
• Wyoming Wildlife Advocates
• Yaak Valley Forest Council

“Grizzlies need a new vision for recovery that incorporates the latest science and conservation practices,” said Mary Cochenour, senior attorney in Earthjustice’s Northern Rockies office. “Grizzly bears have not achieved recovery under the old 1993 plan because it could not have anticipated the level of modern-day human encroachment in grizzly habitat, nor did the 1993 plan foresee the recent enactment of state and federal regulations and policy that continue to undermine recovery efforts.” 

Reporter Resource:

• Published report and petition available here: https://earthjustice.org/grizzly

Petitioners’ Statements

“The science clearly shows that the Fish and Wildlife Service’s management of grizzly bears in fragmented, isolated populations won’t lead to long-term and sustainable recovery, so we have to be bolder and do better. We need to protect grizzly habitat and connectivity corridors to bridge isolated populations and ensure that these bears survive for generations to come.” – Andrea Zaccardi, Carnivore Conservation Legal Director, Center for Biological Diversity. 

“Grizzlies are not just a symbol of our Western heritage; they are a keystone species that plays a critical role in maintaining the health of ecosystems. Now is the time for a new, science-based recovery plan that will connect isolated populations and support people coexisting with grizzlies.” – Susan Holmes, Executive Director, Endangered Species Coalition  

“After a few decades of implementing the old recovery plan, the Fish and Wildlife Service has accomplished practically nothing for the grizzly population in the Bitterroot Recovery Zone. Grizzly bears deserve a new plan, something that provides real habitat security so their population can sustain.” –Jeff Juel, Forest Policy Director, Friends of the Clearwater

“With advances in our understanding of grizzly bear population dynamics and how people and bears can coexist for the benefit of both species, the time is ripe to update the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan to reflect the best available science. Grizzlies are a critical part of a healthy, connected landscape, and this petition gives the Lower 48 populations the best shot at recovering in a meaningful and sustainable way. Grizzly bears belong on this landscape—we want to make sure they continue to exist now and into the future.” – Shannon Donahue, Executive Director, Great Bear Foundation

“Grizzly bears, valuable symbols of wildness, must be conserved for future generations. We know that Americans overwhelmingly support safeguarding grizzly bears from cruelty, including by trophy hunters. Because extinction is forever, we must prioritize science over politics. It can take 10 years for one grizzly mother to replace herself in a population. It’s time for decision makers to heed the call to ensure these iconic animals thrive, not vanish.” – Wendy Keefover, Senior Strategist of Native Carnivore Protection, Humane Society of the United States

“For years, HSLF has fought for grizzly bears by pressing the federal government to uphold protections for this irreplaceable species. A more than 30-year-old recovery plan could not have accounted for the imminent threats facing grizzly bears today, including trophy hunting, human development and undue political pressures. It is long overdue that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service updates this outdated plan to protect grizzlies for decades to come.” – Brianna DelDuca, Regulatory Specialist, Humane Society Legislative Fund

“As a member of the Nez Perce Tribe and the coordinator of our Nez Perce Tribal member-run non-profit, I and our board believe that protections for grizzly bears should and need to continue. As our people (Nimiipuu) and grizzlies and other species have lived together in our Treaty area and beyond with little harm to either, we now see how the migration westward and introduction of cattle and development of habitat critical to grizzly bears has negatively impacted this critical species. As the grizzly is part of our history, culture and ceremonies we support the further protection of grizzlies.” – Julian Matthews, Board Member & Coordinator, Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment

“This petition recognizes that we need to have a real recovery of grizzly bears, not delisting that would open them up to large-scale killing and reverse decades of conservation work. The science is clear that we need a healthy population of grizzly bears throughout these public lands in the Northern Rockies to achieve a sustained recovery. Grizzly bears are so sensitive to mortality that delisting could very well be their demise. Now is the time to strengthen protections for this iconic species, not put a target on them.” – Ben Greuel, National Wildlife Campaign Manager, Sierra Club

“We must approach the grizzly bear with humility; afterall, being in their presence is a humbling experience. In Park County, situated in the northern Yellowstone ecosystem, we have an intimate relationship with grizzly bears. We have been able to witness their ongoing recovery firsthand. While we have much to celebrate in that regard, we believe there is still more work that needs to be done, like updating the 30-year old recovery plan with the latest scientific findings, and establishing a meta population in the northern Rockies that would truly constitute proof of the grizzly’s recovery.” – Max Hjortsberg, Managing Director, Park County Environmental Council

“Given that our knowledge of grizzly bears has expanded significantly, particularly regarding the importance of habitat connectivity, it is absolutely crucial that recovery planning reflects and incorporates what is now the best and most up-to-date science. With growing anti-predator hostility from states and an alarming uptick in human-caused grizzly deaths – due largely to conflict with livestock –  an update to the 30 year old plan is critical for long-term recovery.”  

– Patrick Kelly, Montana & Washington Director, Western Watersheds Project

“Grizzly bear recovery in the region will fail if they do not have secure habitats for safe passage as they disperse in search of food, dens and mates. Current rules already allow state governments in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho to kill grizzly bears, even as they face numerous other threats in the region. As we saw with the tragic vehicular death of bear #399 – arguably the most famous grizzly bear in the world, these bears need more protection, not less.” – Adam Rissien, ReWilding Manager, WildEarth Guardians. “

“Those who are blind to the threats that grizzly bears are facing will say that the goalposts for recovery keep moving. The truth is that science is not static, it’s dynamic. We know a lot more than we did 30 years ago. As conditions change and we collect additional data, our knowledge becomes greater. Conditions in 1993 were vastly different than they are now. Updating the recovery plan should be a priority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before any decisions about recovery are made.” – Kristin Combs, Executive Director, Wyoming Wildlife Advocates 

Additional organizational media contacts:

Andrea Zaccardi, 303-854-7748, azaccardi@biologicaldiversity.org 

Adam Rissien, 406-370-3147, arissien@wildearthguardians.org 

Kristin Combs, 307-413-4116, kristin@wyowild.org

Patrick Kelly, 208-576-4314, patrick@westernwatersheds.org 

Jeff Juel, 509-688-5956, jeffjuel@wildrockies.org

The post ‘Grizzly Bears Not Recovered’ Says Leading Biologist, 15 Regional & National Groups Petition for New Recovery Vision appeared first on Endangered Species Coalition.

“In the aftermath of the United States 2024 elections, one reality remains unchanged – human activities are driving over one million species to extinction,” said Susan Holmes, executive director. “President-Elect Trump and the new Senate majority are no friends to wildlife. Mr. Trump and his allies have stated that they will seek to end protections for vulnerable species like wolves and grizzlies and open up essential habitats to oil and gas development. We will do all we can to stop President-Elect Trump’s extinction agenda before cherished plant and animal species are lost forever.”

In its first 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has saved 99% of the species it protected from extinction. As human-driven habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and direct overexploitation of wildlife increase worldwide, transformative changes across economic, technological, social, and political factors are needed to halt the ongoing global extinction crisis.

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