A federal court on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision reversing a Trump administration policy that eliminated protections for grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park.
A three-judge panel agreed with a prior ruling that the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) acted contrary to the best available science in its determination that grizzly bears near the park would no longer be listed as a threatened species.
FWS delisted grizzlies in 2017, affecting about 700 bears in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.
At that time, proponents said that increases in bear populations, conservation efforts and state protection policies justified delisting the creature. However, opponents said that threatened species protections were still necessary because it was too soon to tell if Yellowstone grizzlies had recovered.
FWS did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the new ruling.
Conservationists hailed the decision as a win that will prevent the creatures from being hunted as trophies.
“This is a tremendous victory for all who cherish Yellowstone’s grizzly bears and for those who’ve worked to ensure they’re protected under the Endangered Species Act,” said Andrea Zaccardi, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement “Hunting these beautiful animals around America’s most treasured national park should never again be an option.”
