HJM 4: Undermining Grizzly Bear protections — 2025
ICL's position: Oppose
Current Bill Status: House Committee
Issue Areas: Public Lands, Wildlife
Rep. Jerald Raymond (R-Menan), Rep. Judy Boyle (R-Midvale), Sen. Van Burtenshaw (R-Terreton) introduced House Joint Memorial 4, which will be considered in the House Resources Committee. The memorial recommends that the federal government remove grizzly bears from the Endangered Species List. This action would allow the state of Idaho to take over management responsibilities of grizzly bears from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
Grizzly bear populations have expanded near Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, due to conflict prevention and restoration efforts. In North Idaho, it’s a different story. In the Selkirk and Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystems, grizzly populations have stabilized under the direction of USFWS, but the populations have not expanded like they have elsewhere, and recovery goals have not yet been achieved. That’s why ICL feels that delisting those grizzly populations at this time would be premature.
Finally, while grizzlies have made occasional forays into the 6,000-square mile Bitterroot Recovery Zone in central Idaho, it is officially considered “unoccupied” until a breeding female is documented with cubs. Nonetheless some legislators are pushing for delisting the bears, but their argument that Idaho’s bears have recovered is simply not supported by the science.
Ultimately, ICL agrees that grizzly bears should be taken off the ESA list…when they are truly recovered across a significant portion of their range and Idaho has developed the necessary management plans to ensure bear populations are maintained. Unfortunately, those conditions have not yet been met.