Grizzlies are American icons. They deserve our protection.

There are only a handful of regions in the Lower 48 United States where grizzly bears roam free. But if it hadn’t been for the Endangered Species Act, there would likely be none at all.

Through the Endangered Species Act, these remarkable creatures are protected from hunting, trapping and more.

In what could be a huge victory for grizzly bears, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) just proposed to maintain those protections, but the agency has yet to make a final decision.

Grizzlies were once almost hunted to extinction

These iconic mammals once roamed across the Western United States, coexisting alongside various Indigenous communities.

In 1800, there were an estimated 50,000 grizzly bears in the contiguous U.S. By the 1930s, only 2% of that population remained.

Through U.S. government-funded bounty programs, grizzlies have been shot, poisoned and trapped to the verge of extinction in the Lower 48.

The Endangered Species Act helped grizzlies survive

When grizzly bears in the Lower 48 were given protection under the Endangered Species Act, there were between 700 and 800 bears left in the region. As of 2023, there were at least 2,100 grizzlies in the contiguous United States.

The grizzly’s tale of recovery over the past 50 years is incredible. It is also still being written. We can play a part in this story by voicing our support of the FWS’s proposal.

Grizzlies need our protection if they are going to continue to thrive

It is especially crucial we express our support for the continued protection of grizzlies — we know what happens when these protections are lost.

The FWS withdrew protections for grizzlies in 2017 and within a year of the delisting, Wyoming approved a hunt that would have killed an estimated 22 bears. Luckily, a District Court judge restored protections in time.

Take action to protect grizzly bears

For too long the U.S. has approached the existence of grizzlies with violence and hostility. We need a different approach. The FWS’s proposal reflects a 21st century approach to grizzly bear conservation, emphasizing coexistence over eradication.

Tell the FWS: Grizzly bears deserve a future and we support this decision to maintain protections under the Endangered Species Act.