A grizzly bear walks on snow near Obsidian Creek in the Yellowstone National Park in this photo taken in April 2003. REUTERS/Jim Peaco/National Park Service - 
 
 A grizzly bear and her cub are seen in the Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 24, 2011. Picture taken June 24, 2011. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart 
 
 Cindy Butler and her boyfriend Jesse Beebe use a spotting scope to view a grizzly bear near Swan Lake in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 22, 2011. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart 
 
 A grizzly bear and her two cubs in the Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 24, 2011. Grizzly bears are most often found in the open spaces of the park. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart 
 
 Grizzly bear cubs play on the snow in the Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, June 24, 2011. Picture taken June 24, 2011. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart 
 
 A grizzly bear and her two cubs approach the carcass of a bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States, July 6, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart 
 
 A grizzly bear roams through the Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming in this May 18, 2014 file photo. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart/Files 
 
 A grizzly bear and her two cubs are seen on a field at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, in this July 6, 2015 file photo. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart/Files 
 
 A grizzly bear roams through the Hayden Valley in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, May 18, 2014. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart 
 
 A grizzly bear looks around while she and her two cubs feed on the carcass of a bison in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States, July 6, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart 
 
 CODY, Wyo. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed on Thursday stripping Endangered Species Act protections from the grizzly bear in and around Yellowstone National Park, saying the animal's numbers have rebounded sufficiently in recent decades. 
 
 The estimated tally of grizzlies in the greater Yellowstone region, encompassing parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, has grown to a 700 or more today, up from as few as 136 bears in 1975 when they were formally listed as a threatened species throughout the Lower 48 states. 
 
 At that time, the grizzly had been hunted, trapped and poisoned to near extinction. Its current estimated population well exceeds the government's minimum recovery goal of 500 animals in the region. 
 
 Hunters and ranchers, who make up a powerful political constituency in Western states, have strongly advocated de-listing grizzlies, arguing that their increasing numbers pose a threat to humans, livestock and big-game animals such as elk. 
 
 Environmentalists have raised concerns that while grizzlies have made a comeback, their recovery could falter if federal safeguards are lifted, a move that would open the animals to public hunting outside the national park boundaries. 
 
 Moreover, they have argued that a key food source for the bears, whitebark pine nuts, may be on the decline due to climate change. 
 
 Native American tribes, which revere the grizzly, also have voiced skepticism about removing its threatened status. 
 
 But Fish and Wildlife Service said population studies show grizzly bears have more than doubled their range since the mid-1970s, occupying more than 22,500 square miles (58,275 sq km) of the Yellowstone ecosystem. That area is larger than the land mass of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, combined, the agency said. 
 
 The scope and quality of bear habitat, regulatory mechanisms developed over the years and the existing balance of male and female bears should allow the states to maintain a viable, long-term grizzly population numbering in the high-600s to low-700s, said Matt Hogan, the agency's deputy regional director. 
 
 Yellowstone's grizzlies were briefly removed from protected status in 2007 but were re-listed after environmentalists sued, asserting the government had failed to account for such factors as climate change. 
 
 A joint federal-state committee of wildlife managers recommended de-listing again in 2012. 
 
 Four other smaller grizzly populations in parts of Montana, Idaho and Washington state would remain federally protected under the latest proposal. A much larger population in Alaska is unlisted. 
 
 A final decision on the Yellowstone grizzly's fate is expected by year's end, Hogan said. 
 
 (Reporting by Ruffin Prevost; Writing and additional reporting in Los Angeles by Steve Gorman; Editing by Sandra Maler) ||||| (CNN) Yellowstone grizzly bears are emerging from their winter hibernation to news that wildlife officials no longer consider them threatened. 
 
 "Stable population numbers for grizzlies for more than a decade also indicate that the Yellowstone ecosystem is at or near its carrying capacity for the bears," it said. 
 
 Hottle also loves visiting Glacier National Park in Montana, a nine-hour drive by car. "There's a wildness about Glacier that makes it even more dangerous and adventurous than Yellowstone," he said. Glacier's Wild Goose Island is shown here. 
 
 Glacier National Park – Hottle also loves visiting Glacier National Park in Montana, a nine-hour drive by car. "There's a wildness about Glacier that makes it even more dangerous and adventurous than Yellowstone," he said. Glacier's Wild Goose Island is shown here. 
 
 Hottle recommends that hikers travel in groups of at least three, stay on designated trails, carry bear pepper spray and make noise as they hike to avoid surprising bears (mother bears can attack when surprised). He and his family have hiked "every inch" of Electric Peak, a nearly 11,000-foot mountain. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – Hottle recommends that hikers travel in groups of at least three, stay on designated trails, carry bear pepper spray and make noise as they hike to avoid surprising bears (mother bears can attack when surprised). He and his family have hiked "every inch" of Electric Peak, a nearly 11,000-foot mountain. 
 
 In elk mating season, which starts around September, the bulls come down from the mountains and gather up as many cows (female elk) as they can into harems. Shown here is a harem of 27 cows resting in Mammoth Hot Springs near the town post office. Visitors are cautioned to stay at least 25 yards away from the elk, which have been known to ram cars and trap people. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – In elk mating season, which starts around September, the bulls come down from the mountains and gather up as many cows (female elk) as they can into harems. Shown here is a harem of 27 cows resting in Mammoth Hot Springs near the town post office. Visitors are cautioned to stay at least 25 yards away from the elk, which have been known to ram cars and trap people. 
 
 Rangers plead with with visitors to pull off the road to shoot pictures of bison (shown here in the Lamar Valley) or other wildlife that call Yellowstone home. Travelers have been known to stop their cars in the middle of the road to look at the view, or worse: look sideways to admire the nature while driving. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – Rangers plead with with visitors to pull off the road to shoot pictures of bison (shown here in the Lamar Valley) or other wildlife that call Yellowstone home. Travelers have been known to stop their cars in the middle of the road to look at the view, or worse: look sideways to admire the nature while driving. 
 
 There's a good chance of spotting wolves on the drive to the Lamar Valley, Hottle says. He likes to stop at a pullout about halfway to the valley and hike into the woods, where he can sometimes see a wolf or its pack. (Hottle found this wolf in his backyard.) 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – There's a good chance of spotting wolves on the drive to the Lamar Valley, Hottle says. He likes to stop at a pullout about halfway to the valley and hike into the woods, where he can sometimes see a wolf or its pack. (Hottle found this wolf in his backyard.) 
 
 Grand Prismatic Spring is Hottle's favorite spring in the park, and it's in Midway Geyser Basin about five miles from Old Faithful. When the light is right, hike up one of the mountains surrounding the spring and you'll see the steam change colors because of the spring's bacteria. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – Grand Prismatic Spring is Hottle's favorite spring in the park, and it's in Midway Geyser Basin about five miles from Old Faithful. When the light is right, hike up one of the mountains surrounding the spring and you'll see the steam change colors because of the spring's bacteria. 
 
 Castle Geyster just in the same basin as Old Faithful. 
 
 Castle Geyser – Castle Geyster just in the same basin as Old Faithful. 
 
 Old Faithful Geyser may be the most-famous "resident" of Yellowstone National Park, but park ranger Dan Hottle says there is much more to see at the 2.2 million-acre park. 
 
 Yellowstone: Our first national park – Old Faithful Geyser may be the most-famous "resident" of Yellowstone National Park, but park ranger Dan Hottle says there is much more to see at the 2.2 million-acre park. 
 
 "In response to the successful recovery of one of the nation's most iconic animals, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to remove the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife ," it said. 
 
 Delisting means the bears are no longer threatened, and would not be protected by the Endangered Species Act. They could be hunted within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which lies in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana , though not the Yellowstone National Park itself. 
 
 Conservation plans 
 
 The wildlife service said the restoration of bear populations in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho "stands as one of America's great conservation successes." 
 
 "Our proposal today underscores and celebrates more than 30 years of collaboration with our trusted federal, state and tribal partners to address the unique habitat challenges of grizzlies," director Dan Ashe said. 
 
 "The final post-delisting management plans by these partners will ensure healthy grizzly populations persist across the Yellowstone ecosystem long into the future." 
 
 Public chance to comment 
 
 The wildlife service is seeking comment from the public, agencies and scientists after publication in the Federal Register, expected in the next few days. 
 
 "Even with this proposed delisting, the service remains committed to the conservation of the Yellowstone grizzly bear, and will stay engaged to ensure that this incredible species remains recovered," Ashe said. 
 
 Still in need of protection? 
 
 "Yellowstone grizzly bears are an isolated population that is experiencing high levels of conflicts with people and is likely declining in the wake of the loss of whitebark pine, a critically important food source," said Sylvia Fallon , a senior scientist at NRDC. 
 
 Fallon questioned the accuracy of the population estimates, saying the bears were on the decline. 
 
 She added they would likely also need to be connected to bears outside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to avoid genetic problems. 
 
 "The Endangered Species Act has been tremendously successful at saving this population and preventing its demise," she said. 
 
 " And retaining those valuable protections until the Yellowstone grizzly population is more robust and its future more certain is the best way to turn that past success into true recovery." 
 
 The Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Yellowstone grizzly bear population from the threatened species list in 2007, but the decision was challenged and later overturned by a federal district judge. A later appeal by the service failed. 
 
 The wildlife service describes endangered species a s those at the brink of extinction now while a threatened species "are likely to be at the brink in the near future." 
 
 Awake and hungry 
 
 Meanwhile, Yellowstone National Park has warned that its grizzlies are awake, hungry and looking for food. 
 
 The National Parks Service said the first confirmed report of grizzly bear activity after the winter hibernation came nearly two weeks ago. 
 
 1st grizzly sighting of the spring today over Nez Perce Crk. Get a bear safety refresher at https://t.co/PsyfFoKaT9. pic.twitter.com/JhkflMRwOY — YellowstoneNPS (@YellowstoneNPS) 24 February 2016 
 
 "Bears begin looking for food soon after they emerge from their dens," the parks service said in a statement. 
 
 It recommended that park visitors stay in groups of at least three, make noise on the trail and carry bear spray. 
 
 "Yellowstone regulations require visitors to stay 100 yards from black and grizzly bears at all times. 
 
 The best defense is to stay a safe distance from bears and use binoculars, a telescope or telephoto lens to get a closer look," the parks service said. 
 
 Yellowstone closes areas of the park where humans are more likely to encounter bears that could react aggressively while feeding on elk and bison carcasses. ||||| External Affairs staff in the Mountain-Prairie Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides support to the regional office and field stations to communicate and facilitate information about the Service's programs to the public, media, Congress, Tribes, partners, and other stakeholders in the 8-state region. 
 
 Law enforcement is essential to virtually every aspect of wildlife conservation. The Office of Law Enforcement contributes to Service efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation. 
 
 The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program in the Mountain-Prairie Region helps conserve, protect, and enhance aquatic resources and provides economically valuable recreational fishing to anglers across the country. The program comprises 12 National Fish Hatcheries. 
 
 Providing leadership in the conservation of migratory bird habitat through partnerships, grants, and outreach for present and future generations. The Migratory Bird Program is responsible for maintaining healthy migratory bird populations for the benefit of the American people. 
 
 The Mountain-Prairie Region's Office of Ecological Services (ES) works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, ES personnel work with Federal, State, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to avoid, minimize, and mitigate threats to our Nation's natural resources. 
 
 While national wildlife refuges were created to protect wildlife, they are for people too. Refuges are ideal places for people of all ages to explore and connect with the natural world. We invite you to learn more about and visit the national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. 
 
 Created in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, today's National Wildlife Refuge System protects habitats and wildlife across the country, from the Alaskan tundra to subtropical wetlands. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Refuge System's 560-plus refuges cover more than 150 million acres and protect nearly 1,400 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. 
 
 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a long tradition of scientific excellence and always uses the best-available science to inform its work to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitat for the benefit of the American public. 
 
 News Release 
 
 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Delisting Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Due To Recovery 
 
 Decades of Conservation Lead to Endangered Species Act Success; Service also releases recovery plan supplement and conservation strategy to ensure population continues to thrive 
 
 For Immediate Release 
 
 March 3, 2016 
 
 
 
 Grizzly bears. Credit: USFWS / Ture Schultz, National Elk Refuge volunteer 
 
 LAKEWOOD, Colo. – In response to the successful recovery of one of the nation’s most iconic animals, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) today proposed to remove the grizzly bear in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. 
 
 The restoration of the grizzly bear in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho during the last three decades stands as one of America’s great conservation successes—a testament to the value of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the strong partnerships it drives. The Yellowstone grizzly bear population has rebounded from as few as 136 bears in 1975 to an estimated 700 or more today. 
 
 “The recovery of the Yellowstone grizzly bear represents a historic success for partnership-driven wildlife conservation under the Endangered Species Act,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “Our proposal today underscores and celebrates more than 30 years of collaboration with our trusted federal, state and tribal partners to address the unique habitat challenges of grizzlies. The final post-delisting management plans by these partners will ensure healthy grizzly populations persist across the Yellowstone ecosystem long into the future.” 
 
 To ensure robust monitoring of Yellowstone grizzly bears, balanced management and effective conservation going forward, the Service is also releasing two other documents for public comment, a draft supplement to the 1993 Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan for the Yellowstone grizzly bear population, and a draft conservation strategy. These detail how both grizzly bears and their habitat will be managed in a post-delisting environment. 
 
 “Even with this proposed delisting, the Service remains committed to the conservation of the Yellowstone grizzly bear, and will stay engaged to ensure that this incredible species remains recovered,” Ashe said. “We will continue to be part of a strong monitoring program, implementation of the conservation strategy, and partnership with our state and federal partners. We are look forward to hearing from the public about the proposal and consulting with Native American tribes.” 
 
 Population and habitat monitoring efforts undertaken by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee Study Team indicate that grizzly bears have more than doubled their range since the mid-1970s. They now occupy more than 22,500 square miles of the Yellowstone ecosystem, an area larger than the states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined. Stable population numbers for grizzlies for more than a decade also indicate that the Yellowstone ecosystem is at or near its carrying capacity for the bears. 
 
 Determining recovery is based on more than just the number of bears in the ecosystem. It includes the quantity and quality of habitat, adequate regulatory mechanisms to maintain a healthy and viable population, and a good balance of male and female bears that are well-distributed throughout the ecosystem. 
 
 The proposed rule, and the supporting documents, will publish in a couple days in the Federal Register. The Service will be seeking review and comment by the public, other federal and state agencies, and independent scientists. Comments will be accepted for 60-days after publication. You can submit electronically at http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter Docket Number FWS–R6–ES–2016–0042, and then click on the “Comment Now!” button. 
 
 Comments will also be accepted via U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS–R6–ES–2016–0042, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803. Please note that submissions merely supporting or opposing a potential delisting, without supporting documentation, will not be considered in making a determination. 
 
 The Service will post all information received on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any personal information that is provided. To view the complete Federal Register notice that publishes, visit http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/es/grizzlyBear.php. 
 
 The ESA is an essential tool for conserving the nation’s most at-risk wildlife, as well as the land and water on which they depend for habitat. The ESA has saved more than 99 percent of the species listed from the brink of extinction and has served as the critical safety net for wildlife that Congress intended when it passed the law 40 years ago. The Obama Administration has delisted more species due to recovery than any prior administration, including the Oregon Chub, Virginia northern flying squirrel and brown pelican. 
 
 The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. 
 
 For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/. Connect with our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/USFWSMountainPrairie, follow our tweets at http://twitter.com/USFWSMtnPrairie, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/. 
 
 – FWS –
– "This is really momentous, bigger than recovering the bald eagle," an environmental writer tells the Christian Science Monitor after the US Fish and Wildlife Service on Thursday proposed removing grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone from the endangered species list. When grizzlies were added to the list in 1975, there were just 136 bears remaining in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (which includes both the park and surrounding lands) as a result of hunting. Today, there are an estimated 700 to 1,000 bears. "There is robust agreement that this population has recovered," Service Director Dan Ashe says. "It's now our obligation to delist the population and return management to the state." A final decision is expected later this year, reports Reuters. Grizzlies have also doubled their range to occupy more than 22,500 square miles of the Yellowstone region, but wildlife advocates fear they're still at risk. A record 59 Yellowstone grizzlies died last year as food sources, including white bark pine and cutthroat trout, dwindled. The proposal comes "a couple years too early," says one advocate, who fears that Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana will resume grizzly hunts, not held since 1974, on bears who stray beyond the park's boundaries. A scientist with the National Resources Defense Council tells CNN that the bears could see genetic problems if they don't interact with bears outside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Ashe says a five-year plan will be put in place to "ensure healthy grizzly populations persist across the Yellowstone ecosystem long into the future."