True Recovery: 7 Things Grizzlies Need

Recent actions by the Trump administration have fundamentally changed the conversation around grizzly bear recovery. In just a matter of weeks, federal officials have weakened Endangered Species Act habitat protections, proposed giving states greater authority over grizzly bear management, and adopted new policies that place greater emphasis on economic interests when protecting critical habitat. Together, these actions make one thing abundantly clear: true recovery cannot be measured by population numbers alone. If grizzly bears are to survive and thrive for generations to come, recovery must be built on science, connected landscapes, secure habitat, coexistence, and long-term conservation—not politics.

Here are the seven things grizzly bears need in order to truly recover:

1. Recognize Climate Change
   Climate change is reshaping the landscape and the food resources grizzly bears depend on. As a result, more “explorer” bears are dispersing into new areas in search of habitat. Recovery must recognize this reality by giving grizzlies the room to roam and protecting the landscapes they need to adapt to a changing world.
   
   
2. A Modern Management Plan
   The states are not prepared to manage grizzly bears under today’s challenges. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s nuisance bear guidelines date back to 1986 and fail to address today’s realities, including climate change, expanding bear populations, increasing human development, and modern coexistence strategies. Recovery requires an updated, science-based management framework.
   
   
3. Connectivity
   Isolated grizzly populations cannot remain healthy forever. Wildlife corridors that reconnect the Greater Yellowstone, Northern Continental Divide, Cabinet-Yaak, Selkirk, North Cascades, and Bitterroot ecosystems are essential for restoring genetic diversity and ensuring long-term survival.
   
   
4. Coexistence & Tolerance
   Recovery depends on people as much as bears. Communities across the West need bear-smart practices, secure attractants, bear-resistant trash systems, education, and wider use of bear spray. At the same time, we must move beyond the outdated myth of ferocity and embrace a culture of coexistence that keeps both people and grizzlies safe.
   
   
5. Wildlife Crossing Structures
   Busy highways increasingly divide grizzly habitat and prevent bears from safely moving across the landscape. Wildlife overpasses, underpasses, and fencing are proven conservation tools that reconnect fragmented habitat, reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, and allow bears to safely disperse between ecosystems.
   
   
6. Secure Habitat
   Without secure habitat, there is no recovery. Critical habitat must be protected from fragmentation caused by logging, mining, energy development, road building, and other industrial activities. Harmful practices such as bear baiting and trapping should be prohibited in grizzly country, and grizzlies should once again be allowed to reclaim the 4.6-million-acre Bitterroot-Salmon-Selway ecosystem where they historically lived.
   
   
7. Indigenous Leadership & Wisdom
   For thousands of years, Indigenous Peoples have maintained a sacred relationship with the grizzly bear based on respect, reciprocity, and coexistence. Their knowledge and leadership must be central to recovery efforts. Honoring the Piikani Grizzly Bear Treaty and the commitments of more than 200 Tribal Nations offers a path toward a future rooted in science, cultural knowledge, and ecological stewardship.
   
   

True recovery is about far more than reaching a population target. It means protecting the Endangered Species Act, securing and reconnecting habitat, preparing communities to live alongside bears, recognizing the impacts of climate change, embracing Indigenous leadership, and ensuring grizzly bears can once again thrive across a connected and resilient landscape. That’s what recovery looks like. That’s the future worth fighting for.