Grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem will not get their own protected status

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has decided not to create a separate protected population of grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. This means the bears in this region will not be delisted from the Endangered Species Act.

This decision means that the grizzly bear population in this specific region will continue to be managed as part of the larger, federally protected population. It prevents a shift in how land use and development are regulated in areas where these bears live. Local and state governments will not gain more control over managing this population, which often comes with delisting.