We moved to Jackson because few places still feel as whole as this region does, with Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, abundant public lands and waters and a quality of life shaped by wildness. Opinion Most of all, we moved here for the incredible wildlife. That includes elk, moos e, mule deer, wolves and pronghorn. And also, the iconic grizzly bear, a true symbol of Northern Rockies wildness and the vast, connected landscapes that sustain it. Our business also benefits from having these magnificent animals in the landscape. Every year, people come from around the world to watch and photograph wildlife. They are in awe of the abundance and diversity here — the sight of a moose coming out of the willows on a misty morning or an elk herd during the rut in fall. But nothing moves people more than seeing a grizzly bear. As wildlife guides, we see this again and again. Each time we meet a new group, we ask what they hope to see most. Without fail, the answer is “a grizzly.” Visitors know there are only a handful of places in the Lower 48 where seeing one is even possible. They understand, instinctively, that grizzlies mean something larger: intact habitat, protected public lands, and a landscape still wild enough to hold them. Yet at the same time, grizzlies are fragile. By that, we mean they are a conservation-reliant species with slow reproduction, large habitat needs and little margin for unnecessary mortality. They need habitat to roam and survive; wild places where they can gather and scavenge natural foods and rear young free from disturbance. They’re among the slowest-reproducing mammals in North America, and that fragility is why grizzlies were nearly wiped out during the western expansion of our country. We treated them like vermin to clear the land for livestock, and it showed. By the early 1970s, only an estimated 136 grizzlies remained in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The population was dangerously close to disappearing. In total, fewer than 600 grizzlies remained in the Lower 48 states, with the largest population living in Glacier National Park and the surrounding wildlands. Today, there are roughly 1,900 grizzlies in the Lower 48, clearly a conservation improvement. But that didn’t just happen. It took tremendous work over decades by federal and state wildlife officials, conservationists, landowners and communities. Now the Trump administration is ready to pull the rug out from the progress we’ve made recovering grizzlies and hand management to the states of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Their argument is simple: Grizzlies have met the population targets in existing recovery plans, so the job is done and the states should take over management. They’re proposing to do this under a provision of the Endangered Species Act that allows some take of animals under specific conditions, known as “4(d)” rules. But meeting minimum numbers in isolated recovery zones is not the same as lasting recovery. Those targets were created when grizzlies were on the brink, and we have learned far more since then about what they need to survive over the long term. In 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service laid out a broader vision for recovery — one that recognized the importance of connected habitat and connected grizzly populations across the region. Wyoming, Montana and Idaho rejected that vision and challenged the decision. That response says a lot. Rather than managing for true recovery, the states appear intent on managing for the fewest grizzlies they can get away with, in populations kept isolated from one another. Montana has pushed to make it easier to kill grizzlies linked to livestock conflicts on public lands. Wyoming even floated the idea of giving elk hunters “kill coupons” for grizzlies. That is not modern wildlife management. It is a throwback to the same 1800s mindset that nearly wiped grizzlies off the map in the first place. At the same time, the Trump administration is working to industrialize our public lands through a range of policies that protect wildlands. These include undoing the Roadless Area Conservation Rule on national forests, a major push for industrial logging, and moves to dramatically increase motorized use across public lands. All of these are major threats to grizzlies because they rely on secure habitat, as do many wildlife species. Long-term recovery depends on more than counting bears. It depends on limiting unnecessary killing, protecting movement between populations and allowing grizzlies enough connected habitat to remain genetically healthy and secure for generations to come. We don’t value grizzlies only because our business depends on people coming here to see them. We value them because they change how this place feels. Their presence makes the landscape feel larger, wilder and more alive. It reminds us that we are lucky to share these public lands with animals that still embody true wildness. Grizzly bears still need federal safeguards and robust habitat protections because the states have made their management intentions clear. These bears are not just management units or population targets. They are national treasures, and their presence is part of what makes this region whole, wild, and unlike anywhere else in the Lower 48. Public comments on the proposed changes to protective grizzly bear regulations are due by Aug. 17. The post State management of grizzlies would be a disaster appeared first on WyoFile . ...read more read less