The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a 12-month finding regarding a petition from Wyoming to create and remove a distinct population segment for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear. After reviewing scientific data, they concluded that the grizzly bears in this area do not qualify as a separate listable population. Consequently, the petition to delist these grizzly bears is not warranted. The agency plans to conduct a more comprehensive evaluation of grizzly bear status in the lower-48 states by January 2026.
Simple Explanation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service looked at whether grizzly bears in the Yellowstone area are special enough to be on their own list, but decided they aren't different enough yet, so they're not making any changes now. They plan to take another look at the grizzly bears' situation in all of the lower states by 2026.