Washington, D.C. – In response to yesterday’s court-ordered listing of the grizzly bear, Congresswoman Liz Cheney introduced the Grizzly Bear State Management Act. The Act directs the Department of the Interior to re-issue its delisting decision and prohibits further judicial review of this decision.

“Today, I introduced the Grizzly Bear State Management Act, which directs the Department of the Interior to re-issue the rule delisting grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and prohibits any judicial review of this decision.

This year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) determined that, “The population has rebounded from as few as 136 bears in 1975 to an estimated 700 today and meets all the criteria for delisting.” Additionally, USFWS biologists determined the grizzly bear currently exceeds the carrying capacity of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and now occupies more than 22,500 square miles.

The decision by a Federal District Court Judge in Montana to re-list the grizzly ignores science, and disregards the important work done by the state of Wyoming to establish an effective grizzly bear management plan. My bill will stop this abuse of the court system and put management of the grizzly back in the hands of experts in Wyoming.”