Central Montana Times

U.S. Senator Steve Daines engaged in a heated discussion with President Biden’s Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing regarding the status of grizzly bears in specific ecosystems. Senator Daines expressed his concerns about the grizzly bear populations exceeding the recovery targets set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

During the exchange, Senator Daines emphasized the challenges faced by residents in grizzly bear country, stating, "Montanans in grizzly bear country have been forced to adjust their life and to be bear aware at all times as they live with the bears." He questioned Secretary Haaland about the specific target numbers for grizzly bear recovery in the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems, to which Haaland admitted she did not have the information.

Senator Daines provided the recovery target numbers to Secretary Haaland and highlighted the current population figures from the Fish and Wildlife Service, demonstrating that the grizzly bear populations are well above the set targets. Despite this, Secretary Haaland refrained from making a definitive statement on whether the populations had recovered, citing her lack of scientific expertise.

In response to Haaland's hesitance, Senator Daines reiterated, "The science tells us we’re well over the targets," and urged Secretary Haaland to consider delisting the bears and returning the management of the species to the people of Montana.

The discussion between Senator Daines and Secretary Haaland underscored the ongoing debate surrounding the delisting of grizzly bear populations and the need for a resolution based on scientific data and conservation efforts.