Blocked grizzly hunts fuel call for species law changes
BILLINGS, Mont. — A court ruling that blocked grizzly bear hunts in the U.S. West carries far wider political implications amid a push by Congress for sweeping changes to how imperiled species are managed.
The ruling restored protections for more than 700 grizzlies in and around Yellowstone National Park. It likely will force federal wildlife officials to reconsider their piecemeal approach to restoring bruins across the Northern Rockies.
As wildlife advocates celebrated the ruling, it was quickly seized upon by Republicans as the latest example of supposed flaws in the Endangered Species Act, a 1973 law meant to shield plants and animals from potential extinction.