There's a move in the Wyoming Senate to relocate trapped grizzly bears from the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to California/NPS, Jim Peaco
April Fool's Day is still a couple months off, but a measure adopted in the Wyoming Senate the other week to send trapped grizzly bears to California does make one wonder how serious the chamber is.
Earlier in my career I spent nine years covering the Wyoming Legislature, and every now and then an oddball measure would surface. This amendment, introduced by state Sen. Larry Hicks, fits that description. Hicks views his proposal as a way to deal with troublesome grizzly bears that otherwise would be euthanized.
Grizzly bears are trapped and relocated in Wyoming and in some cases are euthanized for livestock depredation, property damage or endangerment of human life. If it determines under the laws of the state of Wyoming that extraterritorial relocation would be beneficial for managing Wyoming's wildlife and protecting Wyoming workers and other citizens and tourists of the state, the game and fish commission may relocate to the state of California all grizzly bears trapped for relocation or that would otherwise be euthanized.
The amendment was tacked onto a Senate bill that authorizes the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to establish a hunting season for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Whether it makes it through the legislative session and is signed into law by the governor remains to be seen. Of course, the bill, if enacted, could run into conflict with the bear's current status as threatened with extinction in the ecosystem.
Last September grizzly bears that roam the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem regained protection from hunters under the Endangered Species Act due to a judge's ruling that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service did not adequately consider how delisting the bears would impact the species as a whole. That ruling brought a halt to planned grizzly bear hunts in Wyoming and Idaho.
How did Hicks settle on California for the bears' destination? The bear on that state's flag.
“I think it’s only fitting and right that we help our friends out to the West to help restore their state emblem,” Hicks said in a Jackson Hole News and Guide story. “This is the first step in getting there.”
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Leave the bears alone . Stay out of there home. PRACTICE LIVE AND LET LIVE. THESE BEARS HAVE A RIGHT TO THERE LAND.
EC, thanks for that doc. Interesting reading. My point, though, is that currently grizzlies are listed as a threatened species under the ESA and so relocating them across state lines likely is not as simple as it might sound. I wasn't implying that it's harder to trap and move a grizzly than a black bear.
As your doc mentioned, the state worked with USFWS and USFS on relocations ... at least prior to the delisting/relisting period. Perhaps Wyoming and California and the other necessary agencies will prove me wrong in the end, though I don't think Wyoming would swap grizzlies for Yosemite/Sequoia/Tahoe black bears;-)
My point only is the proposal isn't worthy of the ridicule you tagged it with. Lets discuss it without spite. Recently, too many articles here have started or contianed snarky comments that are totally irrelevant to the story. As I mentioned before, this story made ridicule of the proposal but didn't contain a single reason to object.
Take about 50 bears & drop them off in San Francisco save two for mrs Pelosi Walled property and let them be free
If they want to relocate them to California then California can relocate the criminals to Wyoming.
Great idea! Trap and move the problem bears to California. Except make sure they get released in areas were the most animal rights activist live. San Francisco. Berkeley. LA. Im sure they have some nice parks for the bears to roam. Screw getting California's permission. They've been interfering in other states business for years.
I too am a Wyoming native. Born and raised up the Southfork outside of Cody. When I first started hunting and hiking the mountains that create the Southern Border of Yellowstone I was more terrified of finding a mountain lion than a bear. But around 2001 we had a friend that saw 7 different grizzlies on one ridge of a mountain. I knew things were changing. Now the deer and elk herds we used to see during the winter frequenting the Southfork Valley ranches have disappeared. The ranchers frequently file reports of grizzlies and wolves killing cattle in the area. One rancher had a grizzly running his cows down the fence line then beating the head until it died, then the bear would find another one and do it again, and leave them to rot. They relocated the bear 4 times, and every time he came back and did it again. I too will not hike or hunt there without a gun or bear spray. It is simply too dangerous. Had too many friends chased off their elk kill by a grizzly. They no longer fear man. They need to be hunted to keep the number down. Totally agree with everything you said!
He'll Ya!
Send Grizzliies...Wolf's...Cougars. those Sanctuary cities will be some good eats. Maybe put a couple hundred Grizzlies on Nancy's vineyard.