Montana News
Advocacy groups sue feds over grizzly bear removals
Wildlife advocacy groups are suing the federal agency that removes bears after they kill livestock. The groups say these removals of grizzlies harm recovery efforts of the endangered species. While the agency says it's doing its job, MTPR's Ellis Julin reports. Advocacy groups are asking a judge to order the federal government to draft a new assessment of the impacts of relocating or killing grizzlies. Lawyers for Trappbury, Montana, Wild Earth Guardians and Western Watersheds project told a federal district court judge Friday that even one grizzly removal can impact a small and recovering subpopulation of bears. They also say wildlife services is not assessing how these removals impact bear movement. The ability of bears to move from one area to another has been identified as a key part of the species' recovery. Lawyers for wildlife services, which is within the US Department of Agriculture, say it's only responsible for addressing predator damages. They say that questions of management or conservation are the responsibility of the Department of Interior. The agency manages grizzlies as they remain federally protected under the Endangered Species Act. Separately, the Interior Department is currently considering delisting the bear populations around Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. That decision is expected at the end of the year. In Missoula, I'm Ellis Julin.