"Before they were hunted, trapped, and poisoned to near extinction, grizzly bears roamed the American West in great numbers. Scientists estimate that in the early-1800s there were around 50,000 grizzlies in the continental U.S., living in a diversity of habitats between the Great Plains and the Pacific Ocean. By 1975, that number had been reduced to just 1,800 individual bears in the entire contiguous states. The Center for Biological Diversity is now threatening to sue the U.S. Interior Department for failing to restore this iconic species to its native habitat.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is “working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.” Restoring the grizzly to its rightful place as a keystone predator of the American West would benefit a huge diversity of animals and their habitats, and contribute to the conservation of American heritage for all her citizens. Sign this petition to support the recovery and protection of grizzly bears in the continental U.S."
