Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso and Representative Cynthia Lummis, all R-Wyo., made the following comments after a federal judge’s decision to re-list Yellowstone area grizzly bears under the Endangered Species Act.
“This is a disappointing decision that was based on everything but the recovery numbers that show the grizzly bear is thriving in the Yellowstone National Park area. Two years ago the federal government and the states came together and, based on sound science and a healthy grizzly population, agreed that the grizzlies no longer needed the protection of the Endangered Species Act. It is unfortunate that one slam of the gavel can erase that agreement,” said Enzi.
“Healthy bear numbers set by the Fish and Wildlife service have been met, that’s why they were delisted. Today’s ruling defies logic and law. The message from the environmental industry is: we make the rules as we go along,” said Barrasso.
“Subverting the Endangered Species Act through judicial activism under the auspice of climate change would be laughable if the impacts weren’t so dire for Wyoming’s public land users,” Lummis said. “The Fish and Wildlife Service made the right call on de-listing the grizzly bear in 2007, and I expect their decision will stand up once the case is appealed. Abuse of this well-intentioned but mismanaged law is an affront to sound wildlife management practices and an insult to the law’s original drafters.”
“This is a disappointing decision that was based on everything but the recovery numbers that show the grizzly bear is thriving in the Yellowstone National Park area. Two years ago the federal government and the states came together and, based on sound science and a healthy grizzly population, agreed that the grizzlies no longer needed the protection of the Endangered Species Act. It is unfortunate that one slam of the gavel can erase that agreement,” said Enzi.
“Healthy bear numbers set by the Fish and Wildlife service have been met, that’s why they were delisted. Today’s ruling defies logic and law. The message from the environmental industry is: we make the rules as we go along,” said Barrasso.
“Subverting the Endangered Species Act through judicial activism under the auspice of climate change would be laughable if the impacts weren’t so dire for Wyoming’s public land users,” Lummis said. “The Fish and Wildlife Service made the right call on de-listing the grizzly bear in 2007, and I expect their decision will stand up once the case is appealed. Abuse of this well-intentioned but mismanaged law is an affront to sound wildlife management practices and an insult to the law’s original drafters.”
