>Conservation groups say "the proposed habitat area is too small, will
foster inbreeding and eventually wipe out recovery efforts" and "urged the
Forest Service to instead adopt another scenario that was studied - one that
would have increased habitat area by 2 million acres and barred oil and
natural gas development there."

GREENLines, Monday, August 16, 2004, Issue 2171

BUSH ADMINISTRATION MOVES CLOSER TO DELISTING GRIZZLY:  "The Bush
administration on Friday moved towards removing grizzly bears in the
Yellowstone area from protected status under the Endangered Species Act,"
according to MSNBC, 8/13.  The population of grizzly bears around
Yellowstone National Park is around 1,200 to 1,400, about half of the total
population in the continental United States.  The U.S. Forest Service has
developed a plan to protect their habitat.  Conservation groups say "the
proposed habitat area is too small, will foster inbreeding and eventually
wipe out recovery efforts" and "urged the Forest Service to instead adopt
another scenario that was studied - one that would have increased habitat
area by 2 million acres and barred oil and natural gas development there."
The federal government wants to sign the grizzly bear delisting order with
their right hand, while using their left hand to wave goodbye to habitat
that grizzly bears require for long-term survival in the U.S. Northern
Rockies - their last stronghold in the lower 48 states," Louisa Willcox,
director of the Wild Bears Project for the Natural Resources Defense
Council.

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