After 42 years on the endangered species list, the grizzly bears of Yellowstone National Park will be taken off the endangered species list, the Interior Department announced Thursday.
The grizzly bear population has grown from as few as 136 bears in 1975 to an estimated 700 in 2017, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said.
"As a kid who grew up in Montana, I can tell you that this is a long time coming and very good news for many communities and advocates in the Yellowstone region," said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke.
According to the New York Times, the bear's delisting isn't happy news to all. The decision is opposed by multiple conservation groups and Native American tribes. A great number of these groups believe the bears should continue to be protected as climate change leaves Yellowstone in ecological uncertainty.
The final rule of delisting Yellowstone's grizzly population from the endangered species will be published in the coming days in the Federal Register and the rule will take effect 30 days after publication, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said.
