Grizzly bears were once nearly wiped out in the lower 48 states. Decades of hard-fought protections and conservation efforts under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) have helped bring these iconic animals back from the brink. But now, that progress is in jeopardy.

Brian Nesvik—just confirmed by the U.S. Senate to lead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—has a deeply troubling record when it comes to safeguarding imperiled wildlife. As head of Wyoming’s Game and Fish Department, Nesvik supported public trophy hunting of grizzlies and called for removing their federal protections. Under his watch, policies were implemented that aimed to drive grizzly and wolf populations down to bare minimums—despite their ecological importance and continued vulnerability.

His leadership also coincided with rising disease rates among Wyoming's elk herds and controversial decisions that favored politics over science. And now, he's been put in charge of enforcing the very law he's tried to weaken.

In a recent statement, the Sierra Club said:

“Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans have put the ESA in their crosshairs, and Brian Nesvik is ready to take the shot.”

This confirmation comes at a time when multiple bills in Congress are already threatening the Endangered Species Act—trying to strip protections from species like the grizzly through legislation rather than science.

We can’t afford to let this happen. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should be a champion for science-based conservation—not a gateway to extinction.

We demand that Director Nesvik and the Trump administration:

• Maintain full federal protections for grizzly bears and other imperiled species
• Reject any attempt to reinstate trophy hunting of grizzlies
• Uphold the mission of the USFWS to protect—not exploit—wildlife under the ESA

Wildlife can’t speak for itself—but we can. Join us in standing up for the species that still need our protection before it's too late.