Idaho’s two U.S. senators are backing a new federal proposal that would hand greater management authority over grizzly bears to state agencies, following an announcement from the Interior Department on July 15.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik announced a revised rule proposal that would transfer day-to-day grizzly bear management from federal control to state governments in western areas where the species has met or surpassed federal recovery benchmarks.

Senators React

Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo, both Idaho Republicans, quickly voiced their support for the move. Risch pointed to population data as the basis for the change, saying, “It’s abundantly clear Idaho’s grizzly bear populations have widely exceeded recovery goals.”

Crapo framed the announcement as the culmination of a long-running effort. “For years, I have advocated for returning grizzly bear management to the states as recovery objectives and benchmarks have been achieved,” he said, describing grizzly recovery as a conservation success story built through decades of collaboration among state, tribal, federal, and local partners.

What the Proposal Would Do

The Interior Department’s plan would give state wildlife agencies primary authority over grizzly bear management in regions where populations have hit or exceeded the thresholds set under federal recovery plans. The proposal also includes updated provisions to sustain the species’ long-term conservation under the Endangered Species Act, preserving federal protections as a backstop even as daily management shifts to the states.

Supporters of the change argue that robust grizzly bear populations in states like Idaho demonstrate that the federal government’s original recovery mission has been accomplished, making continued federal primacy unnecessary.

Broader Federal Land Context

The grizzly bear proposal is part of a wider push by Idaho’s congressional delegation to recalibrate federal authority over wildlife and land management. Representative Russ Fulcher has separately been polling Idahoans on federal land policy amid scrutiny over public land access, reflecting ongoing tension between Washington and western states over who should control decisions affecting the region’s natural resources.

For Crapo and Risch, the Interior Department’s action represents a substantive step toward an approach they have long championed: letting states take the lead once federal conservation goals have been demonstrably achieved rather than maintaining indefinite federal oversight.

What Comes Next

The proposal is subject to a formal rulemaking process, which typically includes a public comment period before any changes take effect. State wildlife agencies in Idaho and neighboring states would need to be prepared to assume expanded management responsibilities if the rule is finalized. The timeline for completing that process has not been specified.