US To End Federal Protection For Yellowstone Grizzly Bears

FLORA AND FAUNA

Grizzlies were declared an endangered species in 1975 throughout the western states and given special protection.

Washington (AFP) Nov 15, 2005
The US government said Tuesday that grizzly bears in the Yellowstone National Park and its surroundings were no longer under threat and would be taken off a list of protected species.

"The greater Yellowstone's population of grizzlies, a population that once was plummeting toward extinction, has now recovered," said Interior Secretary Gale Norton.

US government and national parks experts say the number of bears in Yellowstone -- which straddles the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming -- has risen from about 200 in 1982 to more than 600 today.

"These bears are no longer in danger," Norton told a press conference, hailing 30 years of work by wildlife experts and the authorities to increase the population of the huge, brown bear.

"This great icon of the American West now has a promising future. Our grandchildren's grandchildren will see grizzly bears roaming in mountains, forests and rivers in the Yellowstone area."

Grizzlies were declared an endangered species in 1975 throughout the western states and given special protection.

There will now be 90 days of public consultation before approval of the proposal to lift their protection in the greater Yellowstone area. Grizzly bears in other US regions are to remain on the federal protection list.

The decision probably will not take effect before late 2006, Interior Department officials said.

Once enacted, authorities in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming would be authorized to allow limited grizzly hunting.

All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Kenya, Thailand Sign Wildlife Deal

Nairobi (AFP) Nov 09, 2005
Kenya and Thailand signed an agreement Wednesday to enhance cooperation in wildlife management amid a row over a decision by Kenya to send hundreds of wild animals to a Thai zoo.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.