BILLINGS, Mont.—The Biden administration took a first step Friday toward ending federal protections for grizzly bears in the northern Rocky Mountains, which would open the door to future hunting in several states.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the governors of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming provided “substantial” information that grizzlies have recovered from the threat of extinction in the regions surrounding Yellowstone and Glacier national parks.
Federal officials raised concerns about recently passed state laws that could affect grizzly populations, and Friday’s move kicks off at least a year of further study before final decisions about the Yellowstone and Glacier regions….