Overview 

Congress has grizzly bears in its crosshairs and now is the time to step up the fight to keep Endangered Species Act protections in place and prevent anti-wildlife lawmakers from “delisting” the Great Bear. To bolster these efforts, we must counter the echo-chamber that continues to amplify a false narrative that grizzly bears are ready to be delisted, and that states need “management flexibility,” which simply translates into more dead bears. 

During this all-hands-on-deck moment, several communications professionals crafted a set of effective messages to help establish and promote a narrative that grizzly bears must remain protected, need habitat protections, and that effective non-lethal coexistence measures are available for communities living with bears. 

Core Message

• Grizzly bears are part of our unique American [or Western, or Montana, Idaho, Wyoming] wildlife heritage, and are fundamental to what makes public lands special. We have a moral duty to care for and protect grizzlies to ensure they can fully recover and are here for future generations.

Reaching Recovery 

• Grizzly bears are beginning to recover from a century of persecution and habitat loss, but now is not the time to remove protections. We need to keep safeguards in place until the science shows grizzly bears are fully recovered, and until the states have adequate rules in place to ensure grizzly bears will thrive for future generations. 

• Grizzlies were brought to the brink of extinction until being protected by the Endangered Species Act. We’ve made some progress, but state wildlife scientists warn that grizzlies haven’t been fully restored in their natural habitats, and we don’t have adequate safeguards in place to ensure their long-term survival. 

• Grizzly bear populations in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho remain isolated, and some areas like the Bitterroot Ecosystem lack any official population, though some individuals are trying to return to the area. Grizzlies must remain protected to fully recover, and must be managed as one unified population. 

• True recovery requires protected habitats throughout the Northern Rockies and proven genetic interchange among stable, growing populations.

• Despite progress, the work isn't finished, and it's vital not to reverse decades of conservation efforts prematurely.

Threats

• Human-caused mortality continues to hinder grizzly bear recovery. This includes bears killed due to conflict with livestock, (perceived or real), or for human safety concerns, in addition to deaths from vehicle collisions, hunter misidentification, and poaching. 

• Grizzly bears are a symbol of American [or Western, or Montana, Idaho, Wyoming] wildlife heritage, yet anti-grizzly politicians and state government bureaucrats want to reduce populations to just the bare minimums, eliminating decades of recovery progress. 

• Turning grizzly bear management over to hostile states will lead to increased bear deaths, reversing decades of conservation progress. Montana, Wyoming and Idaho have already adopted anti-grizzly laws and policies, including allowing trophy hunting, demonstrating they cannot be trusted to manage responsibly.    

• Climate change is altering food sources and habitat conditions, yet the government ignores science that highlights these growing threats.

• Development pressures, such as the expansion of single family homes in rural areas, threaten grizzly habitat by increasing human-bear interactions. From 2000 to 2021, 56% of single-family homes in Montana were built outside of incorporated areas. 

Bear Spray Works, not Bullets

• Bear spray is much more effective in deterring attacking grizzlies than a firearm. When bear spray is used, it offers a non-lethal solution that gives all parties a chance to live. Bear spray effectively deters the bear without causing permanent harm, reducing the risk of human injury while allowing the bear to continue thriving in its natural habitat, ensuring its role in the ecosystem and its ability to care for its young.

• As reported by the Montana journal, Explore the Big Sky, “Studies, including those published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, show that bear spray deters aggressive behavior in brown bears 92% of the time and is similarly effective against black bears (90%). This high success rate makes bear spray more reliable than firearms, a method that requires precise skill in stressful encounters.” 

• The Forest Service states “Based on research of bear encounters bear spray is the most effective tool for changing a bear’s behavior during an encounter. It is 92% effective at changing a bear’s behavior during an encounter, while other methods (including various firearms) have been found to be less effective.”