Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador has formally requested that the federal government allow Idaho to manage its own grizzly bear population, pushing for full delisting of the species by December 2026.

The request comes as the Trump administration has proposed revised rules for grizzly management that would reduce the regulatory burden on states and give them greater flexibility in handling the bears. Labrador welcomed the proposal as a move in the right direction while pressing for Idaho to go further and assume direct control.

Federal Rules vs. State Control

The administration’s proposed rules are designed to ease restrictions affecting rural communities, hunters, and trappers who have long argued that federal grizzly protections conflict with land use and public safety in bear country. Labrador’s request goes beyond the administration’s proposal, seeking full removal of federal Endangered Species Act protections for grizzlies within Idaho’s borders.

The December 2026 target gives the federal government roughly four months to act on Idaho’s request. Whether the administration moves to delist the species entirely — or stops short with the revised management framework — remains to be seen.

Broader Push for State Authority

Labrador has been among the most active state attorneys general on wildlife and land management issues, framing grizzly delisting as a matter of state sovereignty and rural livelihoods rather than a rollback of conservation policy. He has argued that grizzly populations have recovered sufficiently to justify removing federal protections and returning management decisions to state wildlife officials.

The outcome will likely depend on how quickly the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalizes its rulemaking and whether Idaho’s petition receives formal consideration ahead of the year-end deadline.