The grizzly bear, a symbol of wild North America, often sparks public inquiry regarding its conservation status. Once widespread across the western half of the contiguous United States, this species has faced significant challenges. This article explores the current standing of the grizzly bear, tracing its historical decline and recovery, examining contemporary threats, and outlining ongoing conservation efforts.
Current Conservation Status
Grizzly bears in the contiguous 48 states are listed as a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This federal designation, established in 1975, provides protections, making it illegal to harm or kill these bears except in specific self-defense situations. While populations have shown signs of recovery in certain areas, the species remains threatened across the Lower 48. Alaska has robust grizzly populations, estimated at around 30,000, and is not considered threatened. Canada also hosts a significant population, though some Canadian populations face decline.
Within the contiguous United States, debates continue regarding the potential delisting of specific grizzly bear populations, such as those in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has previously attempted to delist the GYE population, but these efforts were overturned by courts, maintaining the threatened status. As of early 2025, the USFWS announced that grizzlies in the Lower 48 would largely remain protected, opting to consider them as part of a larger, interconnected population rather than delisting individual segments.
Historical Context of Decline and Recovery
Before European settlement, an estimated 50,000 grizzly bears inhabited a vast range across 18 western states, from Mexico to Canada and the Pacific Ocean to the Great Plains. Their populations declined in the 19th and early 20th centuries due to westward expansion, including overhunting, poisoning, and bounty programs. This, coupled with extensive habitat loss for agriculture, reduced the grizzly bear’s range in the contiguous states to less than 2% of its historical extent by the 1930s. By 1975, the Lower 48 population dwindled to approximately 700-800 individuals, largely confined to isolated areas within national parks and wilderness areas.
The listing of the grizzly bear as a threatened species under the ESA in 1975 marked a turning point. This federal protection halted direct hunting and trapping, allowing recovery efforts to begin. The USFWS developed recovery plans, identifying specific recovery zones to guide conservation actions. These efforts initiated slow but steady population growth in designated areas, allowing the bear’s gradual return to parts of its former range.
Factors Influencing Population Health
Despite recovery successes, grizzly bear populations continue to face challenges. Habitat loss and fragmentation remain concerns, as human development, including logging, mining, and urban expansion, converts natural ecosystems into unsuitable areas. This fragmentation limits gene flow between isolated populations, hindering genetic diversity and increasing their vulnerability to localized extinction. Roads and other infrastructure further dissect habitats, creating barriers to movement and increasing the risk of vehicle collisions.
Human-wildlife conflict poses a threat, especially as grizzly bears expand their range into areas with increasing human presence. Bears attracted to human food sources like livestock or garbage can become habituated, leading to dangerous encounters that often result in lethal control measures. Climate change is an emerging factor, impacting food availability and altering habitat composition. Changing climate patterns can also affect hibernation, potentially keeping bears active longer and increasing their exposure to human-caused mortality.
Conservation Measures and Management
Conservation efforts for grizzly bears involve a multi-faceted approach, primarily guided by the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, along with state wildlife agencies and national park services, plays a role in implementing recovery plans. These plans focus on protecting and restoring grizzly bear habitat, including establishing protected areas and wildlife corridors to facilitate movement between populations, important for maintaining genetic diversity.
Management strategies prioritize minimizing human-bear conflicts through proactive measures. These include public education about bear behavior and safety, promoting bear-resistant food storage, and implementing non-lethal deterrents. In some cases, bears involved in conflicts may be relocated. Research and monitoring programs provide data on population dynamics and health, informing adaptive management practices. Despite ongoing debates about delisting and management authority, continued collaboration among federal, state, and tribal entities remains important for the long-term conservation of the grizzly bear.