We, the undersigned, stand united to protect the grizzly by defending the Endangered Species Act and rejecting any attempt to delist or trophy hunt grizzly bears in the Lower 48. We further call for climate change to be recognized as a central and escalating threat to their survival—and demand that grizzly management reflect the urgent realities of a warming world.

Grizzly bears are more than iconic symbols of the American West. They are a keystone species and a vital indicator of ecological health. Once thriving across much of the western United States, grizzlies now survive in just a few, isolated strongholds—and even these are increasingly threatened by the impacts of a rapidly changing climate.

As temperatures rise and ecosystems shift, grizzlies are losing key food sources such as whitebark pine seeds, cutthroat trout, and army cutworm moths. Drought, wildfires, and habitat degradation are pushing bears into lower elevations and closer to human settlements—resulting in more conflicts, more management-related killings, and fewer bears on the landscape.

These are not signs of recovery. They are warning signs.

In these uncertain conditions, "explorer" bears—those that venture beyond core recovery zones—must be shown tolerance and given the “room to roam” they need to survive. Instead, some states are pushing to strip grizzlies of federal protection and authorize trophy hunting—a move that ignores science, common sense, and the will of the public. Delisting grizzlies now would be reckless and irresponsible.

We are calling for:

• Continued federal protection of grizzly bears under the Endangered Species Act
• A halt to any efforts to open trophy hunting seasons in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming
• Protecting the Roadless Rule and 9.6 million acres of roadless lands from logging, mining, and development
• A climate-resilient recovery plan that expands connected habitat and adapts to shifting food sources and migration patterns
• The construction of wildlife crossings to provide safe passage over major highways and interstates
• Building of bear-smart communities
• Passage of the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) to ensure secure, permanent habitat for long-term viability
• Full inclusion and leadership from Tribal Nations, many of whom consider the grizzly sacred and have consistently opposed delisting

We cannot separate grizzly recovery from the climate crisis. To do so is to ignore the environmental forces already reshaping their world. True recovery must mean more than survival in shrinking refuges—it must mean resilience, connection, and room to thrive in a changing landscape.

We urge state and federal agencies to protect—not exploit—these magnificent animals. The grizzly’s future is not a political bargaining chip. It is a moral and ecological responsibility.

Grizzly bears belong to all of us—not just the states of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Join us in demanding that grizzly bears remain protected. The climate is changing. So must our approach to conservation.