Bill > SJ18

This Joint Resolution expresses Montana's support for removing grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act, which is a federal law designed to protect species at risk of extinction, and returning their management to the state. It calls for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the federal agency responsible for endangered species, to revise the current Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, which outlines how to protect and restore grizzly bear populations, and to re-evaluate the effectiveness of the designated recovery zones. Specifically, the resolution requests the USFWS to consider all of Montana's grizzly bear recovery zones as a single "distinct population segment," which is a recognized unit within a species that can be managed separately, to facilitate delisting and state management. Furthermore, it asks the USFWS to develop a new management plan to address conflicts between humans and bears and urges Montana's congressional delegation to work towards exempting the delisting of grizzly bear populations from legal challenges.