Yesterday I joined dozens of grizzly bear advocates in Lander, Wyoming, to speak out against the state’s plan that allows nearly two dozen grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region to be killed in a trophy hunt this fall. Tribal leaders testified eloquently about their long-standing cultural connections to the grizzly bear, considered a sacred relative since time immemorial. Many spoke about the continued threats that these bears face, and they questioned why Wyoming is rushing to initiate a hunt so soon after Endangered Species protections were removed last summer.

But after two hours of public testimony — the majority in opposition to the hunt — the Game and Fish Commission voted unanimously to approve it, once again displaying the state’s historic bias against large carnivores. The state admits it wants to drive down the grizzly bear population, currently estimated at only around 700 bears, and says that there’s no need for the “extra” bears outside of a monitoring area adjacent to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. In that area, known as “Zone 7,” the state will even allow […]