National Wildlife Federation
The grizzly is a symbol of the American wilderness and one of the nation’s most beautiful and imposing creatures. Lewis and Clark found a healthy grizzly population when they explored Idaho’s Bitterroot Mountains in the early 19th century. As the nation expanded westward, grizzly numbers plummeted due to unchecked hunting and trapping. The grizzly is now “threatened” in the lower 48 states.
To restore grizzlies to the Selway-Bitterroot ecosystem, NWF developed the innovative Citizen Management Plan. Despite widespread support, the plan was recently abandoned by Interior Secretary Gale Norton.