Idaho’s congressional delegation and Gov. Brad Little are backing a U.S. Department of Interior proposal that would grant states and tribal wildlife agencies greater authority to manage grizzly bears in the northern Rockies and Greater Yellowstone regions.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum unveiled the proposal Tuesday alongside Little and governors from Montana and Wyoming. The framework authorizes state and tribal wildlife managers to implement their own grizzly management plans in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provided that conservation benchmarks and population recovery targets have been satisfied in specific geographic areas.
Federal Framework Shifts Responsibility to States
U.S. Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo both praised the announcement Wednesday, with Risch emphasizing that recovery metrics have been met. “It’s abundantly clear Idaho’s grizzly bear populations have widely exceeded recovery goals,” Risch said.
Grizzly bears were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. Since then, populations in the Northern Rockies have expanded, particularly in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. However, recovery in the Northern Continental Divide and Northern Rockies populations remains more limited, with the Selkirk Mountains supporting an estimated 35 to 40 bears and the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem occupied by approximately 30 to 40 bears.
Little framed the proposal as a balance between conservation and community safety. “Idaho has proven we can successfully conserve grizzly bears while responsibly managing wildlife and protecting our communities,” the governor said.
Recent Grizzly Incidents in North Idaho
The proposal comes as grizzly encounters have intensified in Idaho’s northern panhandle. Three grizzly bears were killed in North Idaho over the past year, underscoring tensions between wildlife conservation and human safety.
On May 9, a hunter shot and killed a grizzly bear in the Priest Lake drainage area. Less than a month later, on June 10, another grizzly was killed near the lower St. Joe River in the St. Maries area, Unit 6 of the state’s wildlife management zones. In a separate incident on or about October 28, a grizzly bear was illegally killed north of Perkins Lake in Boundary County.
These incidents reflect the growing overlap between grizzly habitat and human activity in North Idaho’s backcountry, where hunters and outdoor recreationists regularly traverse areas increasingly used by the expanding bear population.
Public Comment Period Opens
The Fish and Wildlife Service is reopening a 30-day public comment period on a revised proposed 4(d) rule, updating an earlier proposal issued in January 2025. The revision incorporates input from states and will determine how the management framework operates in practice.
Fish and Wildlife Director Brian Nesvik joined the announcement alongside the governors, signaling federal support for the state-led approach. The proposal represents a significant shift in grizzly management philosophy, moving away from a purely federally-driven conservation model toward one that integrates state wildlife expertise and local knowledge.
Idaho wildlife officials have long argued that state agencies are better positioned to manage bears within their borders, given intimate knowledge of local ecosystems, wildlife populations, and community concerns. The Interior Department’s proposal aligns with that position, assuming population recovery benchmarks are maintained.