delist the grizzly bear
Work to delist the grizzly bear.
Occurrences
Evidence
Daines’ June 23, 2026 release says he spoke in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing and urged members to delist the grizzly bear.
FWS says grizzly bears in the 48 contiguous states are currently protected as threatened and may not be harmed except in limited defense situations.
FWS issued a final rule removing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear distinct population segment from the federal threatened list, effective July 31, 2017.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s remand order concerning the 2017 grizzly delisting and required further examination of effects on remaining listed grizzlies.
Assessments
Daines has taken official actions supporting grizzly delisting, including pressing the issue in a 2026 Senate hearing, and a limited federal delisting for the Greater Yellowstone grizzly population occurred in 2017 while he was in office. However, that rule applied only to one population segment, was later blocked by the courts, and FWS currently still lists grizzlies in the lower 48 as threatened. Because the broader promised outcome has not been durably achieved, but there was both candidate effort and a limited same-term delisting action, partial credit is appropriate.